September 5, 2025 -- The hum of creativity filled the halls of Fort Hayes Career Center (FHCC) on Thursday afternoon. In one corner, cameras clicked as a group of students practiced framing the perfect shot. Down the hall, the steady beat of bass thumped through a soundboard as young audio engineers mixed tracks like seasoned professionals. In the WCBE 90.5 FM studio, the familiar glow of an “On Air” sign flickered to life, giving students a taste of what it feels like to step into a real broadcast booth and learn how public service announcements are made.
This wasn’t just any ordinary day at the Career Center; students learned of the power of Career-Technical Education (CTE) with special guests including Superintendent/CEO Dr. Angela Chapman, long-time local news anchor Angela Pace, and media production teams from WCBE 90.5FM and local media hotspots like WCMH NBC4, WBNS 10TV and WSYX ABC 6 / Fox 28. Together they explored career possibilities in multimedia and shined a spotlight on programs that are transforming classrooms into launchpads for future careers.
“Career-Technical Education opens doors and inspires students,” Dr. Chapman said. “It’s not just a class, but hands-on opportunities to earn industry credentials, learn about real careers, and take steps toward jobs or a path to higher education. What they learn in these programs connects directly to the skills employers are seeking, and it empowers them to see themselves as future leaders in our community.”
Dr. Chapman and the group of CTE students participated in hands-on learning opportunities in video and audio production, graphic design, television news production and photography at the Career Center. Organizers called it “speed dating for career inspiration.” Students rotated through a series of short, high-impact stations designed to demonstrate cutting-edge technology used in the industry and show students a glimpse of what their future could look like in creative industries.
As part of the FHCC tour, students also stepped inside the WCBE 90.5 FM radio station and production facility to see media careers in action. Local television stations WBNS 10TV, WCMH NBC4 and ABC 6 / Fox 28 joined in on the lesson, bringing camera equipment and a live production truck for students to tour.
Angela Pace, longtime Columbus broadcaster and proud graduate of South High School, joined in on the excitement and spoke to the students about her own journey in media, recalling how she once sat in classrooms with dreams of seeing her stories reach an audience.
"I’m a proud Columbus [City] Schools alum. Columbus City Schools teachers, three in particular, and a college professor believed in me and, more importantly, taught me to believe in myself,” Pace said. “That was the most important lesson I've ever learned."
Participation in the District’s 40 CTE programs has more than doubled in recent years, rising from 5,000 students in 2023 to more than 11,500 in the 2024-2025 school year. Last year alone, CCS students earned over 15,000 industry-recognized credentials from organizations such as Adobe, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), CNA, Lean Six Sigma, and the Red Cross’ CPR/First Aid. Graduation rates support the program’s impact, with CTE students graduating last year at 95.9%.
Director of the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center Erica Dodson knows firsthand how the Districts’ CTE programs impact students.
“I know that CTE programs change the pathway of a child's life, and I know that because my son attended this Career Center and was in the dance program,” Dodson said. “He has gone on to be a professional, and it's from the opportunities that he had through the CTE program here at Fort Hayes. I know that it can just inspire students to live out their passion, and there are so many different pathways and avenues for them to develop that.”
Today’s event demonstrated the District’s commitment to preparing students for future careers and college pathways through real-world, skills-based training. The tour was more than showcasing facilities and equipment, it was about giving students a chance to see themselves in the future. Every stop along the way carried a message that the work happening inside CCS CTE classrooms matters, and it’s preparing students for the real world in ways textbooks alone cannot.
“This is about connecting the classroom to the career pipeline,” said CCS Director of Career-Technical Education Jennifer Meade. “When students can meet professionals, see the tools of the trade, and imagine themselves in those roles, it makes their education come alive.”
The CTE model is designed to provide students with meaningful work-based learning opportunities that bridge classroom instruction with real-world application. Through today’s event, students enrolled in CTE Media, Visual, and Performing Arts courses are developing technical skills in addition to demonstrating them through hands-on simulations that mirror professional environments.
During the visit, students engaged directly with the CCS Communications and Multimedia team and media experts, gaining insight into their career journeys, industry credentials, and the technical demands of professional-grade equipment. The day’s focus centered on the creation of Public Service Announcements (PSAs), where students learned about federal guidelines governing PSA content and production.
Za’Mya Adams-Spencer, a senior at Columbus International High School, also takes classes at the Career Center as part of the content creation program.
“This is really cool that [CCS is] giving us opportunities because how many schools do you know have the news, different people, radios and film, coming out to help us? I feel like this is a blessing,” Adams-Spencer said.
Each student along the CTE Media, Visual, and Performing Arts pathways will earn work-based learning hours by producing a PSA using industry-standard tools and techniques. They will have opportunities to create content for the PSA from the technologies demonstrated on campus today. They will receive personalized feedback from communications professionals, and the final product will serve as a portfolio piece—evidence of their mastery of a technical skill and their ability to craft messaging around issues relevant to the community.
The tour at Fort Hayes showed what education can look like when it embraces creativity, industry, and the limitless potential of students. In every classroom visited, in every story told, and in every credential earned, one message rang clear: CCS is preparing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.
Click here to learn all about the CTE Programs at CCS: https://www.youtube.com/@columbuscityschoolscareer-5712.
