Ready to start a career you love and create a positive impact? Become a Teacher Assistant (TA)! Let North Ed support your journey by providing competitive wages, insurance packages, full tuition reimbursement and opportunities for career advancement. To learn more about the multiple TA positions available across various center-based programs, visit https://www.northwested.org/services/human-resources/employment-opportunities/ .
The first ever Engineering Academy Guidance Board Scholarship was recently awarded at the 2026 North Ed Career Tech Awards night, and we are thrilled to share that our inaugural recipient is Luke Schlegel!
Luke is a graduate from TC Central and will be attending the NMC 2+2 program, then continuing to LSSU to pursue Robotics Engineering.
Seeing Luke receive this award is a direct testament to the hard work, vision, and dedication of the Engineering Academy Guidance Board over many, many years. The impact of this work doesn't stop with Luke.
This scholarship is officially endowed with the North Ed Foundation, creating a permanent foundation of support. Every single year moving forward, another Engineering Academy student will receive this scholarship.
Thank you to the Engineering Academy Guidance Board for your time, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to the future of our Engineering Academy students.
As the school year draws to a close, help us celebrate our fifteen 2026 Retirees, who achieved a combined 307 years of service at North Ed.
Today, we honor Deborah (Debby) Oliver for her 31 years of service as a North Ed Career Tech Engineering Academy Instructor.
Debby has been a driving force and catalyst for the Engineering Academy’s success since its inception. Her tireless work ethic and commitment to continuous improvement have not only defined the academy, but has set a very high standard for excellence. She has played an instrumental role in building mentoring programs and advisory boards, creating deep-rooted relationships with local manufacturing partners that provide students with unparalleled pathways to success. Deb is a consummate educator whose energy, intensity, and motivation have made every student better. We celebrate her career as a committed educator who has made a lasting impact at North Ed Career Tech.
Today, we honor Deborah (Debby) Oliver for her 31 years of service as a North Ed Career Tech Engineering Academy Instructor.
Debby has been a driving force and catalyst for the Engineering Academy’s success since its inception. Her tireless work ethic and commitment to continuous improvement have not only defined the academy, but has set a very high standard for excellence. She has played an instrumental role in building mentoring programs and advisory boards, creating deep-rooted relationships with local manufacturing partners that provide students with unparalleled pathways to success. Deb is a consummate educator whose energy, intensity, and motivation have made every student better. We celebrate her career as a committed educator who has made a lasting impact at North Ed Career Tech.
Congratulations to the students who participated in the National Cherry Festival's Student Art Contest! Out of the 85 student submissions, North Ed Career Tech's Graphic Arts program had 17 students place in the top 30, including:
1st place: Delilah Walter ($1,000 Scholarship)
2nd place: Lynn Hall ($700 Scholarship)
3rd place: Emma Wilhelm ($500 Scholarship)
Best in Theme: Sawyer Kiessel ($500 Scholarship)
People's Choice (in the Top 5): Jacob Haase, Sawyer Kiessel and Delilah Walter
Others in the Top 30: Aiden Davis, Paige King, Lilah Weir, Cory Clay, Sarah Douthit, Chloe Porter, Isabel Olson, Kendal Tacktor, Ellie Marvin, Malaysia Hart, Dom Palazzolo and Emily Haas.
As we look back on the school year, we see how much our students have achieved. Their dedication to showing up has led to significant growth, and we are proud of the work they have accomplished as confident learners. #SuccessStartsWithShowingUp
Last night was a celebration of hard work and bright futures. At our annual North Ed Career Tech Awards Night, we witnessed the incredible impact of community support as over 100 students received scholarships and grants from our higher education and community partners.
A special thank you to the North Ed Foundation for awarding $52,750 in Tools of the Trade grants and $63,000 in academic scholarships. We are so grateful to the families, staff and supporters who champion our students every day. Congratulations to our driven graduates—we can't wait to see what you do in this next chapter!
A special thank you to the North Ed Foundation for awarding $52,750 in Tools of the Trade grants and $63,000 in academic scholarships. We are so grateful to the families, staff and supporters who champion our students every day. Congratulations to our driven graduates—we can't wait to see what you do in this next chapter!
We are entering the final weeks of the school year, and every day remains an important opportunity for our students. We have 9 days left to learn, connect, and grow together before the summer break. We look forward to seeing everyone in the classroom as we work toward a strong finish.
Last week, North Ed Career Tech Welding instructor Mark Stein and students Max Jones from TC Central High School, Hannah Batchelder and Summer Skiver from Benzie Central High School visited Ms. Leppien's 4th grade class at Cherry Knoll Elementary. Our students taught these 4th graders about welding and other opportunities at North Ed Career Tech. Thank you to this North Ed team for representing us and sharing your talents, and thank you Ms. Leppien for inviting us!
Learn more about our Welding program: https://www.northwested.org/o/ct/page/welding
Join the North Ed Career Tech Film & New Media students for the 3rd Annual Student Film Festival!
This free event at the Elk Rapids Cinema will showcase original short films created by talented high school filmmakers.
Doors open at 6:00 pm and showtime is 7:00 pm. Tickets are free, and popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase.
June 11, 2026
Elk Rapids Cinema, 205 River St, Elk Rapids, MI 49629
For more information on the North Ed Career Tech Film and New Media program, visit https://www.northwested.org/o/ct/page/film-new-media
On Monday, we hosted representatives from Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) for a Signing Day, to celebrate approximately 70 students from 12 North Ed Career Tech programs signing articulation agreements. These future-focused students earned articulated credit by completing all course content with a B or better and recommendation by their instructor. Congratulations to our hardworking students, and thank you to NMC for your partnership and for joining us for this special occasion!
Last week, we hosted a signing day for our Agrisicence students who earned the Michigan FFA State Degree and in turn have earned 6 general education credits at Michigan State University (MSU). Thanks to Cristin Hosmer (Program Coordinator for the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology) who joined us for the signing day and recognized each of our students.
The State Degree is the second highest honor that can be awarded to students in the FFA Organization. North Ed FFA members worked tirelessly to meet the criteria to receive this high honor including; 350 hours or $2,000 in earnings in their SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) project, 25 hours of community service, attending five FFA competitions and/or events above the chapter level and also earning both the Greenhand and Chapter FFA Degrees. Help us congratulate the following students recognized at the 98th Michigan FFA State Convention in March during the Michigan FFA State Degree Award Ceremony:
Gretchen (Gee) Arnold, TC High School
Paige Brown, Grand Traverse Academy
Gavin Chile, Elk Rapids High School
Grace Forton, TC Central High School
Ezra Hubbard, Elk Rapids High School
Jack Matchett, TC Central High School
Cohen Reinhardt, Elk Rapids High School
Cora Speer, Northport Public School
Briley Stone, North Central Academy
Nora Wnek, Elk Rapids High School
As the school year draws to a close, help us celebrate our fifteen 2026 Retirees, who achieved a combined 307 years of service at North Ed.
Today, we honor Daniel Bowers for his 26 years of service as a North Ed Career Tech Collision Repair Paraprofessional.
Dan’s dedication to Collision Repair at Career Tech has been a critical part of the success of this program. As a highly skilled technician whose expertise is recognized and respected by our local industry partners, Dan has been a critical driver of our program’s impact. His attention to detail, deep content knowledge and consistent approach has consistently left a lasting impact on students. We appreciate Dan’s contributions and hard work at Career Tech.
Today, we honor Daniel Bowers for his 26 years of service as a North Ed Career Tech Collision Repair Paraprofessional.
Dan’s dedication to Collision Repair at Career Tech has been a critical part of the success of this program. As a highly skilled technician whose expertise is recognized and respected by our local industry partners, Dan has been a critical driver of our program’s impact. His attention to detail, deep content knowledge and consistent approach has consistently left a lasting impact on students. We appreciate Dan’s contributions and hard work at Career Tech.
As the school year comes to a close, there is so much to celebrate, including Tools of the Trade equipment deliveries! This year, we proudly awarded 61 Career Tech students $57,000 worth of essential tools to launch the next steps in their career. From work boots to power tools, specialized computers and everything in between, these Career Tech students are being set up for long-term success thanks to the generous donations made to the North Ed Foundation Tools of the Trade fund!
Learn more about Tools of the Trade and other North Ed Foundation funds: https://www.northedfoundation.org/o/nef/page/funds
Special thank you to Milwaukee Tools and Maxbauer Ace Hardware, managed by former Career Tech student Collin O'Brien.
We understand that barriers to attendance can arise. Whether it involves transportation, health or other hurdles, our school is here to provide support. If your family is facing challenges with attendance, please reach out to our office so we can help. #SuccessStartsWithShowingUp
It was a busy couple of weeks for our Career Tech Public Safety program! Here are some highlights:
At the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center graduation ceremony on May 5, current student, Hayden Jury, graduated from the months-long Firefighter I and II state certification training. The ceremony was also an opportunity to connect with several graduates from the North Ed Public Safety program who are now successfully serving in the firefighting industry.
Recently, Michigan State Police Trooper Matthew Unterbrink from the Traverse City Post visited our Public Safety students to demonstrate the skills of his K9 service dogs, including Lulu, who is trained to sniff out explosive materials.
Four North Ed Public Safety students participated in the NMC Police Academy’s MCOLES Fitness Exit exam. This event occurs at the end of the 16-week academy where NMC students must pass a state mandated physical fitness test in order to graduate with a law enforcement license. The stakes are high for the academy attendees and the Director is gracious enough to allow our students to compete alongside. In preparation for the event, Public Safety students practice the four proctored exercises during the school year. Those events are a vertical leap, situps, pushups, and a half mile shuttle run. The individuals with the best records for the 2025-26 school year were selected to participate, including: Gage Allen-Bint (TC West Senior High), Logan Bredahl (Greenspire High School), Cameron Marcero (TC Central High School), and Gregory Stover (Benzie High School). Thank you to Director Kurowski and test proctors Christine Bussell and Jim Bussell.
Attendance is an important life skill. Being present today helps prepare students for the expectations of the workforce and adulthood. We are working together to build a strong foundation for their future success. #SuccessStartsWithShowingUp
The best way to start Teacher Appreciation Day is with a full heart and an even fuller plate! North Ed staff gathered at Career Tech this morning for our annual Staff Appreciation Breakfast. This event was a reminder that North Ed staff don’t only serve students, we serve our fellow educators every day! Thank you to all of the staff who volunteered their time to make this event special and to our Culinary Arts program who created this fantastic feast.
A stronger area begins with present students. When our students are in class and engaged, they are preparing to be the future leaders and neighbors of our community. We appreciate your support in this shared effort.
Huge shoutout to our friends at the NMC Nursing program, specifically Program Director Betsy Boris, who generously donated three practice manikins, including software, computer and monitor, as well as four hospital bed side tables to our Career Tech Health Sciences program! These items have been on our wishlist for years and are incredibly expensive. If bought new, this equipment would total around $150,000. We are VERY grateful and this is a game changer for our program!
Yesterday, North Ed Career Tech’s student-led Voices Club hosted their ‘Stories from a Stranger’ gallery. This powerful exhibit paired anonymous student stories of exclusion with original photography to shine a light on the lasting impact of bullying. By turning vulnerability into art, our students are building a culture of empathy and challenging bias one story at a time.
Read more: https://www.northwested.org/article/2860302
Thank you to Common Good Bakery for donating pastries for exhibit guests.
