EL MONTE – Twenty-one El Monte City School District students recently spent a week building hydrogen fuel cell engines, crafting crystal radios and learning how to perform CPR during Rio Hondo College’s 2019 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summer Camp.

Rio Hondo College’s ninth annual CTE Summer Camp was created to show students the value of higher education and give them hands-on experience with various science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) projects.

El Monte City School District, a first-time camp attendee, was one of four area districts invited to the event, alongside Basset Unified, Little Lake City and Mountain View school districts. The camp offered the 113 guest students a chance to participate in workshops on various subjects including first-aid, renewable energy, combustion engines, and radio frequencies.

El Monte City School District Instructional Support Specialist Ivana Ortega said the summer camp was an amazing opportunity for students to learn from college students and professors as well as work with students from neighboring school districts.

“The camp is amazing,” Ortega said. “It’s so hands-on and the students are actually building things and collaborating with other districts and they’re definitely enjoying the various projects.”

Columbia School student Nohelia Vega said the summer camp has given her direction for her career goals and is now considering attending University of California, Irvine to study medicine.

“When they taught us how to do CPR and other medical insights, I started thinking I should consider becoming a scientific investigator to find cures for sicknesses,” Vega said. “I think it’s amazing how science works and sometimes a discovery could save millions of lives.”
At the conclusion of the week’s activities, parents of students were taken on guided tours of the campus to see the amazing work their children did during the weeklong camp.

“Participating in Rio Hondo School’s CTE Summer Camp has been a superb opportunity for our students to get a first-hand look at the various college and career paths available,” Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia said. “Our District supports any opportunity that emboldens our students to learn more, step out of their shells and take interest in new, exciting careers.”

PHOTO CAPTION:

EMCSD_CTE1: Potrero School student Brandon Salvador (right) and Durfee School student Bosco Lin (left) build their hydrogen fuel cell cars during a workshop at Rio Hondo College’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summer Camp.

EMCSD_CTE2: Rio Hondo College Registered Nurse Instructor Patricia Luna (right) instructs Columbia School students Jenifer Renteria (left) and Nohelia Vega (center) on the proper way to administer a shot of epinephrine to stop an allergic reaction during the college’s 2019 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summer Camp.