Dufur School Ranger TECH Program Receives $125,000 Grant
Dufur School students watch as their Ranger TECH program instructor delivers key information.
The Dufur School District has been awarded a $125,000 revitalization grant from the Oregon Department of Education to further enhance and develop their career and technical education (CTE) training program for the students of Dufur School, Ranger TECH.
The Ranger TECH program has four current pathways: Trades, Early Childhood Education, Construction and Health Services and is looking to build on existing Agriculture and Welding courses.
The grant, in addition to generous contributions from Mr. John Dillon and in-kind donations from program partners, will allow Dufur School to pay for supplies, staffing, training, and curriculum development for the 2022/23 school year and further expand their skills labs and pathway options at appropriate levels for mid-level and elementary students.
“This grant will give the CTE program legs for the next year,” said Jack Henderson, Dufur School Superintendent. “It will fund our four pathways through the 2022/2023 school year…and that will allow us time and additional funds to develop our CTE program with the possibility of adding additional grants moving forward.”
Henderson said that the most exciting potential outcome of the grant would be graduating students who are prepared for living wage positions right out of high school.
“That’s the most exciting thing for me,” said Henderson.
Henderson also said that the school was looking for additional funding for their CTE programs.
“We’re looking for more funding avenues both through grants and personal or private donations,” added Henderson.
The school said they were pursuing additional grant funding and contributions from trade partners, as well as seeking donations from the community through the Ranger Pride Education Foundation and the Ranger TECH Fund. If you would like to learn more about the Ranger TECH Fund or provide financial support for the Ranger TECH CTE Program, please visit www.rangerpride.org or contact Dufur School at 541-467-2509.
Students learning how to safely operate welding and soldering equipment at Dufur School.
About The Ranger TECH Program
“Our unique program brings in industry professionals in each of these areas to assist students with skills labs by providing a hands-on approach to learning, development, and assessment,” read the Dufur School press release.
“By utilizing the incredibly rich resources of our community professionals, this program goes far beyond the usual relationship between students and teachers and enhances the learning experience for all our students.”
“It is the goal of Ranger TECH to provide Dufur High School students with opportunities to pursue living wage jobs after graduation and be able to enter apprenticeships and trade schools with a better base of knowledge than their peers.”
During the 2021/2022 school year, Ranger TECH Program Coordinator Leona Egeland has provided opportunities for Dufur High School students to participate in each of the TECH training areas including construction work, electrical labs with IBEW 280 & the Central Electrician Training Center, and vital signs and measurements labs with health services. These and the many other initial skills labs that our students currently participate in create the core framework for Ranger TECH, while developing the critical infrastructure for the program’s future.
Building on their initial success, future plans for Ranger TECH include bringing The Baker Technical Institute (BTI) to Dufur for summer school this June to provide instruction for Heavy Equipment Operation, Pre CDL-Training, Road Flagger Certification, and Construction First Aid.
As additional partners and resources are added, Mrs. Egeland and her team will continue to build out an even more robust curriculum for the 2022/2023 school year in each of the core pathway areas for all of our students.
Jon Keyser
This story is sponsored by :
The Dalles Iron Works
Welding, Machining & Fabrication Since 1905 at 720 E. 2nd St., The Dalles.
Jon Keyser and his crew can solve your problems big or small, ranging from the manufacture of ornate iron gates to repairing heavy equipment. His team includes wife Holly and son Jon Jr. who have spent years dedicating themselves to community good, most notably on the Dufur Volunteer Fire & Ambulance.
