Manufacturing demonstrations drew hundreds of middle and high school students to Grand Canyon University last week. For Maricopa County Superintendent Shelli Boggs, the Arizona Manufacturing Month event also offered a broader look at GCU’s growing impact.
While students explored manufacturing, engineering, robotics and automation through tours, demonstrations and conversations with industry professionals at Building 66, Boggs visited Canyon Ventures, joined the ribbon-cutting for the new Sheila and Mike Ingram Honors College building and attended a luncheon with local education leaders.
All in a span of three hours.
GCU partnered with the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Arizona Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education program to connect students with employers and introduce them to careers in the trades and advanced manufacturing. The goal was to help students discover potential career paths before choosing a college or entering the workforce.
For Boggs, the county's top public school official and a former career and technical education teacher, that kind of exposure can be life-changing.
“Students come (to high school) unsure about what their future is, what they’re going to do,” Boggs said. “As they find their passion, you can’t stop them. … Here at GCU, they get to see it modeled.”
Boggs said Building 66 had her thinking about ideas she might pursue herself. For students, she said, seeing such a space could help them tap into their creativity and consider possibilities beyond a traditional job path.
On the other side of campus, Boggs arrived in time for the Ingram Honors College ribbon-cutting, where university leaders and hundreds more gathered for the special ceremony. As public tours filled the new facility, a private room was reserved inside for Boggs to meet with college deans, including Dr. Meredith Critchfield, dean of the College of Education.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Maricopa County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs to campus and discuss the critical role career and technical education plays in helping young people discover their interests and potential,” Critchfield said. “By exposing high school students and first-year GCU students to a wide range of career pathways and workforce opportunities, we can help them identify their purpose and make smart decisions about their futures.”
One more trek across campus landed her at the Partner with a Principal luncheon, where GCU President Brian Mueller helped honor the school-business partnerships formed in the local community.
Together, the stops offered Boggs a wider look at GCU’s campus and its relationships with educators.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Superintendent Boggs to campus and share the great work taking place at Grand Canyon University, especially with the Ingram Honors College,” said Dana Drew Shaw, GCU vice president of government relations. “We value the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with educational leaders and appreciate her interest in the important work being done to prepare the next generation of teachers and leaders.”
Teachers from across the Phoenix valley said the manufacturing event helped students see equipment, businesses and career options firsthand, with students already making connections. A South Mountain High School student said a computer numerical control machine stood out as a process they had not encountered before. Another student praised GCU’s entrepreneurial support.
Boggs said her office already conducts industry spotlights to introduce high school students to workforce opportunities. After visiting GCU, she said, the office planned to hold spotlights on campus, giving more students a chance to learn about available pathways.
“I didn't realize all of this stuff was going on in here. GCU seems like a good partner,” she said. “I think it’s a great partner. I’m excited for it.”
GCU News senior writer Jason Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected].
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