Brookfield cuts the ribbon on career and learning center
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BROOKFIELD -- What began as a conversation became a reality Tuesday morning as the ribbon was cut to officially open the Brookfield Regional Career & Learning Center at 601 Bedford Road SE.
"As a Brookfield graduate and community member, Toby Gibson (Brookfield School Superintendent) always had big dreams for this community. So, when he first shared his vision for this space, my mission was simple. Help translate those ideas into real, life-changing opportunities for our students," said Kristen Foster, Director of Teaching and Learning for Brookfield Schools.
Foster and Gibson started their careers in education at Brookfield the same year.
When Tiffany's Banquet Center became available last year, the school district purchased it with this plan in mind. It took six months to turn the former banquet center into an educational facility.
"It has become a campus," Foster said.
The board of education and the Brookfield schools administration offices are adjacent to the new center.
Bright, clean classroom spaces offer instruction in such areas as Industry 4.0, Building Trades Education, Career Based Intervention, Warrior Online Academy and Esports. It also houses a community food pantry in partnership with Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley and a school liaison. A Brookfield branch of SCOPE Senior Services will occupy a section of the building.
Building trades instructor Cole Bencetic said his program is a two-year pre-apprenticeship and it prepares students for their field upon completion. It has shown success at northeast Ohio building team competitions, taking first and second place for Adirondack chairs. The new facility offers a workspace for more students and better tools to learn and use.
Students will have the opportunity to have a different approach to their school day through the Career Based Intervention program.
"It is an alternative program to the traditional school day. Students take required classes and then leave two hours early to go to work. It is a job-oriented classroom," said Bill Kovach, instructor for the CBI program.
Kovach said a local business in Wheatland, Pa., inquired about hiring students trained at the center.
Trumbull County Domestic Relations Judge David L. Engler said he rearranged his schedule to be at the ribbon cutting.
"In my 40 years of my career, the most important thing I did was to be on the board of the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center (MCCTC) for 22 years," Engler said. "Clearly, it is important for kids to be career ready, and this makes a positive impact on our entire community."
The building is a resource for all those in the Brookfield area and beyond.
"The Brookfield Regional Career & Learning Center represents our vision of preparing students for success while serving the needs of our entire community. This facility brings together innovative, educational programming, workforce development opportunities and essential community resources in one location. We are grateful to our partners and grant funders who helped make this a reality, and we look forward to the positive impact this center will have for generations to come," Gibson said.