Lehigh Career & Technical Institute hosts Open House

A visitor strikes a pose at one of LCTI's selfie stations during Open House.

A visitor strikes a pose at one of LCTI’s selfie stations during Open House.

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. | Lehigh Career & Technical Institute on Thursday welcomed a host of community members to the school’s annual Open House.

Hundreds of students, prospective students, their parents, alumni and other community members attended the event, which ran from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Students spent the evening showing off the projects they’ve completed and the skills they’ve mastered so far this year.

Culinary Arts students, for example, proved their prowess by hosting a street fair with international flair, selling empanadas, yakitori, Cuban sandwiches and other savory fare in LCTI’s restaurant. Similarly, Commercial Baking students held the bake sale to end all bake sales, serving up scads of scrumptious pies, cupcakes, cookies and other sweet treats in the school bake shop.

Students from several LCTI programs marked open house by providing a low-cost or no-cost product or service. For example:

  • Cosmetology students offered either a shampoo and blow-dry or a manicure with nail art in the school salon.
  • Health Occupations students offered blood-pressure screenings in the main office lobby.
  • Marketing & Business Education students held a clearance sale in the school store.

In other LCTI program labs, visitors were encouraged to attempt tasks that students perform on a regular basis.

Folks who stopped by Criminal Justice, for instance, got to try their hand at collecting fingerprints and visitors to Heavy Equipment Operations & Preventive Maintenance were invited to rev up the driving simulator.

Meanwhile, students in several program labs staged impressive demonstrations.

Electrical Technology students manned an electrical simulation wall and Plumbing & Heating students showed visitors how to perform a wet tap. Pre-Engineering & Engineering Technology students demonstrated their homemade robot and Print Technology students used a Heidelberg Speedmaster full-color press to produce calendars and other materials for visitors to take home.

All of LCTI’s 40-plus program labs, as well as the Academic Center, were open to visitors. The school’s seven Career & Technical Student Organizations were represented at the event, as well. DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, HOSA, NTHS and SkillsUSA either had tables in the main office lobby or elsewhere in the building.

Students and visitors alike were encouraged to grab a prop, strike a pose and take a selfie at one or all of nine Selfie Stations throughout LCTI. Those who shared their selfies on social media were eligible for prizes.

Also sprinkled throughout the school were representatives from local companies or organizations — Bihler, Bosch Rexroth, B. Braun, East Penn Manufacturing, Effort Foundry, IBEW Local 375, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lutron, Nestle Purina and Nestle Waters — many of which provide job shadow, internship and co-op opportunities for LCTI students.

Representatives from Bloomsburg University, the Dream It. Do It. PA Dream Team, Kutztown University, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lincoln Technical Institute, Northampton Community College, Penn State Lehigh Valley, Reading Area Community College and Universal Technical Institute also attended the event. They set up tables in LCTI’s Small Cafeteria, which also hosted 10- to 20-minute information sessions about the school and the important role of manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley.

4500
Education Park Drive

Schnecksville, PA
18078

Preparing all students for their personalized career pathway