Acworth Mayor Cuts Ribbon on McCall Primary School Career Room

From Cobb County School District:

Dressed as scientists, news anchors and veterinarians, students at McCall Primary School explored different career fields in the new Aspirations Station September 2.

Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood cut the ribbon on the career room at the school while community members, teachers, students and parents waited to tour the job stations.

Following the ribbon cutting, students demonstrated different career fields to the visitors. The featured careers were set up in stations including a laboratory, market, café, classroom, engineering workshop, public safety area, newsroom, veterinary clinic and medical clinic.

The career room is the brainchild of three McCall teachers—Tiffany Hourigan, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) coordinator; Kelli Stagich, academic coach; and Missy Johnson,school counselor. The teachers secured funding for the Aspirations Station after pitching their idea during the 2015 Cobb Tank grant competition.

“To go from judging to actually seeing the ideas that have now come to fruition is absolutely incredible,” said Cassandra Stiff, Acworth community member and 2015 Cobb Tank judge. “Cobb Tank is allowing teachers, educators and administrators to really educate our children not only through books, but now through an educational experience.”

The teaching trio agreed that competing in Cobb Tank was a beneficial experience, despite the hard work.

“Cobb Tank was totally worth it. It allowed us to provide the room to our students that we couldn’t do without Cobb Tank,” said Hourigan. “Now our students are ready to take risks and learn about careers and apply it in their classrooms.”

The Aspirations Station will be available to McCall Elementary students in pre-k through first grade including special needs.

According to one member of the teaching trio, a student dubbed the Aspirations Station—The Magic Room.

“[The Aspirations Station] is wonderful,” said Holly Hollister, parent of McCall first grade student Amelia. “Children learn through play, and it is nice that she gets to explore more career options that she might be interested in. I love that she is telling me the different things she is learning through being in her station.

Registration for the next season of the Cobb Tank grant competition is now open for CCSD faculty and staff to submit their innovative ideas. More information is available at CobbTank.com.

Image via Shutterstock