The Judson ISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department has been busy finding ways to strengthen our connection with industry partners in order to provide more choice and opportunities for our students. Recently a group of Judson ISD staff collaborated with Wayne Fagan, Chair for Dee Howard Education Fund, to begin developing an Automotive Advisory Board. Representing Judson ISD were:

• Dr. Michaela Steele (CTE Director),
• Dawn Worley (JMS/JSTEM Principal),
• Theresa Gregg (WHS STEM Coordinator), and
• Russell Baskin (JSTEM Teacher).

The goal of this board is to build industry partnerships, create internships and real-world experiences for students in our automotive, engineering, and JSTEM middle school programs. Mr. Fagan reached out to Tony Magaro, Director of HR at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to set up a tour and start the discussion regarding how they could partner with our programs in Judson ISD. The group visited the onsite museum and were treated to a continental breakfast while Mr. Magaro gave an overview of the history of SwRI. This was followed by a short tour of the campus and then a visit to the R & D lab where they conducted automotive testing and research with a focus on electric/hybrid vehicle design.

It is an incredible and exciting opportunity to be able to work closely with Mr. Fagan at Dee Howard Education Fund and the Southwest Research Institute, and we cannot wait to get started!