
New Horizons in Action Newsletter
Illuminating Minds, Igniting Passions, and Shaping Futures

New Horizons News
Career Selection Day
Resembling an “Athletic Signing Day”, the Career Selection Day is a high-energy celebratory event that publicly acknowledges students, employers, community members, and stakeholders at the culmination of the program. Students receive their offer letter and company hat on stage. Program graduates announce their employer selection and career pathway they will be joining and proudly enter into the “Good Life”. The event is live-streamed on YouTube and several media outlets are present. Join us for the upcoming Career Selection Day on May 11, 2023 at 4:00 PM at Liberty Live Church!
Butler Farm CTE Campus
Trip to Saunders Elementary
Cosmetology II students took their barbering skills on the road and provided haircuts to students at Saunders Elementary school in Newport News. Work-based learning provided these students with practical experience outside the walls of the classroom.
Student of the Month
Congratulations to Epiphany Smith who was selected as the student of the month from the Exchange Club of Wythe. Smith is a student in the Virtual Machining and Design program.
Alumni Visit
Jaylen Robinson came to speak to the Dental Careers students about the career possibilities in the dental profession. Jaylen is a completer of the Dental Careers Program and is currently working as a dental assistant with Aspen Dental.
Woodside Lane CTE Campus
Dinner is Served!
Students of the Culinary Arts classes prepared and served dinner to the Board of Trustees and Superintendents at the April Board Meeting. Many compliments on the décor and professionalism of the students were received and a multitude of smiles after seeing, smelling, and tasting the buffet of items on the menu were observed. Great Job Chef Robbs and the Culinary Arts students.
Easter Celebration
It is always a great time to build community at school! To help bring in a happy and well-deserved Spring Break, Woodside Lane Career & Technical campus appreciated the staff with specialized candy packages and a “midnight” Egg Hunt! Everyone enjoyed the festivities and the sweet treats.
In Memoriam
Allowing students work on projects they are passionate about, creates some very remarkable products. Two Welding students, David Weiler And Declan Wade, chose to honor one of our students from The Center for Autism during a difficult time. They learned that Spongebob was the student’s favorite cartoon, so they utilized their welding and plasma cutting skills to fabricate a statue in his memory to give to the family.
NCSSS Innovative Partnership of the Year Award
The Governor's School of Science & Technology (GSST) receive the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) award recognizing inventiveness in partnerships between member schools, local businesses, corporations, and/or post-secondary institutions.
Virginia Living Top High School - 10 Year Anniversary
From 2013 to 2023, the Governor's School for Science & Technology has been named amongst Virginia Livings Top School & University for excellence in programming and curriculum. Excellent work to the administrators and instructors that achieve this year in and year out.
Visit from William & Mary
Dr. Nathan Kidwell from the College of William & Mary introduced the AirDuino Project to the Governor's School of Science & Technology (GSST) Engineering students and provided the first set of equipment and sensors for students to start developing aerosol measurement devices.
Conferences & Collaboration
Heather Patton, Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology, Alicia Banks, Assistant Program Coordinator, and Tiara Lamb-Eley, Special Education Teacher from the Yorktown Middle School campus of the Center for Autism presented at the Speech-Language Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) Conference in Richmond. Their presentation “AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and Collaboration: Challenges in a Public School Setting” was well-received by the audience, as they presented a collaborative approach for meeting the needs of students with complex communication needs.
Snack Shack is Back
The Center for Autism Yorktown Middle School has started a school-based enterprise! Students and staff are excited to officially open the school store known as the Snack Shack, operated by Center for Autism students! Students gain leadership and work experience by greeting customers, taking orders, and counting money. Yorktown Middle School students and bus drivers are enjoying purchasing snacks at the end of the school day. Visit the Snack Shack on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:15 pm - 1:45 pm.
Teeny Tiny Farm
Students and Staff at the Center for Autism Kiln Creek Campus were treated to a multi-sensory hands on experience to wrap up their unit on Living and Non-Living Things. The Teeny Tiny Farm Petting Zoo brought a Cow, Donkey, Llama, Pig, and Goats for the students to pet and interact with.
Professional Learning
Center for Autism and Newport Academy staff engaged in relevant, meaningful, and interactive professional learning! Staff started the morning with Dr. J.T. Taylor unpacking implicit biases and ended the day with Dr. Kim Richardson learning the principles of Instructional Coaching!
Hampton High School Event
The Center for Apprenticeship & Adult Training (CFAAT) attended the Hampton High School Trades, College, and Careers event. Staff were able to share the incredible course offerings at CFAAT and were also able to create networks with graduating seniors. The goal has been to attend a Career Training event at every high school that supports New Horizons Regional Education Centers (NHREC) within the six districts and share other pathways to training, career advancement, and apprenticeships with graduating seniors and also with underclassmen. Just a few more to go!
Construction Technology Cohort Update
The Construction Technology & Building Maintenance cohort started learning about plumbing with a hands-on lab pipe cutting and threading session! One of the many lessons that goes along with this jam-packed course as they navigate their way through the “tiny house” construction and outfitting at the Woodside Lane Campus lab.
That's a Wrap!
The Emergency Medical Technician Cohort that started in September 2022 is ending. During one of the class's final skills practicals, administrative staff, Erika Wilson, volunteered herself to assist students in binding. Great work performed by the completers of this cohort, more updates to come!
Alumni Receives Beacon Award
The Youth Workforce Center would like to send a heartfelt congratulations to past Phlebotomy student and Youth Workforce Center (YWC) Student Ambassador, Ashley Davis, with Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group (TPMG) Hampton Lab on her recent Beacon Award!
According to a recent article by TPMG, a patient wrote in to express their admiration for Ashley’s considerate actions with another patient. They wrote, “Ashley assisted an elderly patient who stated she was having severe back pains. Ashley held her jacket and purse while allowing the patient to hold on to her so that she would not fall. This woman had told me she had gotten lost on her way here and even struggled to come inside because of her discomfort. I believe Ashley’s kindness made this woman a little more at ease that day. It was a beautiful thing to witness someone care and protect others around them as Ashley did!”
Ashley, we are so proud of you!
Recruitment Event - 2nd Annual Spring Hampton Roads Regional Job Fair
The Youth Workforce Center team participated in the 2nd Annual Spring Hampton Roads Regional Job Fair held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center on April 13, 2023. The event was hosted by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, in partnership with Hampton Economic & Development, Hampton WorkOne Center, Virginia Career Works- Hampton Roads Region, Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Gloucester County Economic & Development, York County Economic & Development, York County Chamber of Commerce, City of Newport News, Isle of Wight County Economic Development, Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, City of Williamsburg Economic & Development, and City of Chesapeake, NorfolkWorks, Portsmouth @Work, Suffolk Economic Development, Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Virginia Beach Economic Development. The event was very well attended and the YWC staff was able to spread the word about our programs, network with businesses and community agencies, and recruit new youth and young adults for the in-school and out-of-school program.
Passion Meets Purpose
Azheil Freeman, Youth Workforce Center participant, is making great strides to become a Diabetes Educator. He is a model High School Senior at Hampton High, a current Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy student with Career and Technical Education, and participates in the Youth Workforce Center (YWC) Work Experience Program as a Student Aide with the Hampton School Age Program. He does all this while being a straight A student! Freeman says, “As a young person, I understand what it is like to suffer with Type I Diabetes. It can be tough and I want to teach other young people how to manage their condition. My goal is to make the biggest impact possible on their lives through promoting their well-being.” The YWC would like to congratulate Freeman on being accepted as into the nursing program at Old Dominion University. Freeman, YWC is behind you all the way!