Enriched education provides a huge learning advantage for students, yet programs must have funds to buy the technology and resources needed to offer hands-on learning.

In the past, one of the most common fundraising strategies was hosting a bake sale. Students are no longer allowed to have bake sales during school.

Some of these hands-on extracurricular classes and programs include, journalism studies, wood shop, robotics and choir. “From the school we get just under $700,” choir director Carol Hatch said “There is no other alternative but to fundraise.”

Even though these are school related programs, they are not not fully funded by the school. “This class is federally funded, the funds are set aside for career technical education (CTE),” woodshop teacher Wes Perry said. “This year we have spent roughly $40,000.”  Hands on education is a very effective way of learning.  “It gives students a sense of accomplishment when the assignment is complete and is the most effective way for students to transfer a hands-on learning experience into real-world working experience,” said survey spokesman John Swartz, regional director of career services at Everest College, in an article at globenewswire.com.

To have these programs, the students fundraise and to earn the money to be able to have the resources they need. Some classes, like robotics, journalism and choir travel to competitions. The travel for these competitions cost teachers and students money out of their own pockets.

“I spend between $2,000 and $4,000 per year. The business/robotics department receives approximately $1,200 to $1,500 per year to run all the business and robotics classes. In reality, these funds are only enough to fund the robot mechanics class, three sections per school year,” robotics teacher  Robert Richards said. “All the other classes I teach require outside funding to teach.”  

These hands-on classes can help students tremendously in their future careers by teaching them life skills that they will use in the future.

“These classes have taught me how to interact with others and work as a team. Also, I’m learning a real tangible experience through all of our projects, and get to learn a lot about the jobs I want to do someday,” sophomore Madi Howard said.