BAVTS NOTES BY Nikki Ochoa - Competitions and winners

In November, the engineering and baking class collaborated to fabricate and produce an entry for the Gingerbread Bridges and Skyscraper Challenge at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem. All 19 entries did a marvelous job, ranging from all different age groups, especially the winners of the high school category. The “Avengers’ STARK Tower,” was designed by Ryan Brown, senior at Freedom HS, and the construction was produced by various engineering students. Congratulations to Ryan Brown for being interviewed by the Morning Call at BAVTS. Their amazing creation was displayed until Jan. 4.

In an Automotive Technology Competition, Jeffrey Cantrel’s students definitely took a giant win after taking six students, comprising three teams, to compete in Universal Technical Institute’s Top Technician Challenge, which involved about 100 teams from a large area, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. This initial part of the contest consisted of a written test, and from there the top 20 teams advanced to the next level. Four BAVTS students competed at the next level of the hands-on portion. The competition consisted of five workstations that consisted of electrical troubleshooters engine Inspection, overhaul parts and tool identification, brake inspection and lastly, diagnosis check engine light, and repair. Josh Adams and Billy Lasko, both seniors at Freedom HS, took first place in the competition. They have won 100 percent scholarships to Universal Technical Institute, which is equal to $40,000 in value, and $4,000 in tools that also includes a toolbox. In other news, SkillsUSA students collected food donations for the Thanksgiving holiday. Our students delivered 30 baskets of Thanksgiving cheer to families in the Bethlehem area the day before the holiday.

Last month students throughout the building began preparing for the upcoming district competitions for both SkillsUSA and HOSA. The SkillsUSA District competition will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Agri-Plex in Allentown and various other locations. The awards ceremony will be at Parkland HS.