His successful reputation has grown amongst his peers in the Bristol Bay region and Kent is now teaching courses in multiple communities. Last summer he partnered with Dillingham High School to deliver a program allowing students to earn dual credit as they worked toward completion of an occupational endorsement, paving the way for entry level jobs in construction upon completion. Kent’s outreach also extends beyond the Bristol Bay region. At last year’s Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) fall conference he networked with University of Alaska Anchorage Kodiak Campus. They learned their programs are similar and are now collaborating to make improvements.
Kent especially enjoys observing the growth of students, like Max Bennett, who embraced the skills he learned over a summer course and has gone on to use the 3-dimensional scanner and 3d print fetal orca whale bones recovered from the Nushagak River.
His enthusiasm for helping students is extraordinary and creates results. The students not only complete the spring and summer Construction Trades courses with skills that regularly land them good jobs in the field, they also earn an:
- Occupational Endorsement in Basic Carpentry (15.5 dual high school and college credits)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour card
- National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core card
At last fall’s Alaska ACTE Professional Development Conference he was recognized for his positive and energetic attitude, and his influence on the lives of many young adults entering the world of work by being awarded the Outstanding New CTE Teacher! Congratulations, Kent, and thank you for allowing us to feature your success story this quarter.
If you are interested in networking with Kent, you can contact him at 907-843-1776 or kwinship@alaska.edu.
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