Members of the Technology Students of America (TSA) club at the Laurel County Schools Center for Innovation (CFI) received a significant donation from Sauced, a local craft foods dining company, “We really enjoy supporting local education programs, and this donation is made to help technical programs be able to participate in competitions,” said Gina Wilson, owner of Sauced.  Sauced is a craft Pizza, Pasta, and Salad restaurant located in downtown London.  The “Dine to Donate” event provided a percentage of sales from Tuesday, November 16th. 
 

Mrs. Samantha Bryant, Computer Information Technology, and Mrs. Chandra Lawson, Engineering Technology, serve as co-advisors at the CFI.  Lawson and Bryant are providing rigorous STEM courses and career pathways for students in Engineering, Aerospace, Aviation, Computer Science, and Information Technology. Both faculty members expressed their appreciation for the contribution and are looking forward to utilizing the funds for student travel to regional and state conferences, where CFI students will participate in skills development competitions.
 

Dr. James M. Davis, CFI Principal, offered sincere thanks to everyone who came out and enjoyed a delicious meal at Sauced.  Dr. Davis also expressed his sincere appreciation to Sauced for their support of the CFI  and their willingness to help raise funds for competitions. 

Students in the Industrial Maintenance Technology (IMT) program at the Laurel County Schools Center for Innovation (CFI) recently worked on a community service project with Cumberland River Behavioral Health to construct a Food Donation Box. Mr. Gary Karr, IMT Program Coordinator, explained that students utilized re-purposed lumber from the construction lab to design, build, and paint the box, making it durable to hold significant donations. Mrs. Bridgette Ham, Cumberland River Behavioral Health, remarked that she was excited and pleased to partner with the CFI on this project. “Food insecurity is a major issue for many of our clients, and we wanted to help them during times of challenge with access to foods,” added Ham. 

Students learn electrical, construction, automation, and welding fabrication skills in the IMT program. They can also earn national certification as an electrical technician and OSHA safety certification. “We are exceedingly proud of the students and their work in the labs and developing their career potential,” remarked Dr. James M. Davis, Principal. Dr. Davis explained that industrial students that have completed the program are now working in high-wage, high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing and the industrial trades all across the region. 

Students in the Allied Health Science (AHS) program at the Laurel County Schools Center for Innovation (CFI) recently assisted with school health screenings at Johnson Elementary. The CFI students worked under the supervision of the School Nurse, Tamara Philpot, to collect height, weight, vision, and other child wellness information. Tammy Jones, MSN, RN, explained the importance of such learning activities for her students as they progress from 1st to 3rd-year student status and prepare for their clinical practicum experiences to earn their State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) certification as the culmination of their training at the CFI. Chastity Vandeventer, MSN, RN, added, “students enjoy the practical experience of working with others as they develop and refine their clinical care and patient interviewing skills.”

Mrs. Terri-House Vaughn of Johnson Elementary exclaimed, “how helpful the students were and how professional they were in working with the young students during the wellness screenings.” “We are so very proud of the professional dispositions that our students demonstrate when working with others in the community,” said Dr. James M. Davis, Principal. 

“Our health science program provides students with the necessary training, skills, and experiences to become transition ready for college and careers,” added Davis.