Visit Athens Alabama Press Room: High School Students

Welcome to the Visit Athens AL Press Room...

Athens, the Limestone County Seat, sets just 22 miles west of Huntsville at the crossroads Interstate 65, U.S. Highway 72, and US Highway 31. Athens-Limestone Alabama offers festivals for almost every month, 15 family-friendly free trails, museums, attractions and much more to plan your family vacation.

Nestled in the foothills and amid the rolling Tennessee River plains you'll find a variety of items to weave stories around. From our rich history to the unique personalities of community, Southern delicacies to our deep heritage of music, art, and architecture -- we'll enable you to keep pen to paper.

The Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association provides assistance to working press filing stories about Athens-Limestone Alabama as a travel destination. We can answer questions about travel and tourism, arrange press passes attractions, coordinate press visits and point you in the right direction to get the information you need to develop your story about our community.

We look forward to working with you!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Calhoun to Host Skills Extravaganza for Area High School Students

March 4, 2014

Calhoun to Host Skills Extravaganza for Area High School Students

Area high school students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to compete in a realistic environment before attending events such as the Alabama SkillsUSA Conference as they take part in the 4^th Annual Skills Extravaganza, Thursday, March 6, 2014, in the Aerospace Training Center at Calhoun Community College's Decatur campus.

Calhoun hosts the event each year as a precursor and preparation for students before they participate in state and national skills competitions. According to Bethany Shockney, dean for Business, Technologies, and Workforce Development at Calhoun, students will compete in a number of areas and disciplines to include the following: cosmetology, computer networking, computer programming, CNC turning and milling, drafting (architectural and mechanical), HVAC, job interview, machine tool technology, nail technology, and welding.

"The students taking part in our Skills Extravaganza event will compete in contests which are based on performance standards equal to or greater than the SkillsUSA technical standards," said Shockney. "These students will be able to measure their ability and prepare for reality, increase their competitive awareness, and align their expectations for success through real-world, hands-on activities," Shockney added.

Over 150 students have registered for the competition, representing the following schools:

Allen Thornton Career Technical Center (Killlen)
Arab High School
Brewer High School
Central High School (Florence)
Etowah County Career Technical Center
Earnest Pruett Center of Technology (Hollywood)
Gadsden City High School
Huntsville Center of Technology
Lawrence County Career and Technology Center
Limestone County Career Technical School
Madison County Career and Technical Center
Winston County Technical Center

For more information on the 2014 Skills Extravaganza, visit the Calhoun website at www.calhoun.edu/SkillsExtravaganza or call 256-306-2649.

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Calhoun to Host 2014 Workforce Expo

January 29, 2014

Calhoun Community College to Host 2014 Workforce Expo

The Decatur campus of Calhoun Community College will be the site for the 2014 CAREER AND WORKFORCE EXPO, scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, 2014, from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the Kelley Gymnasium.

Last year, over 1,000 students, parents, and educators from communities and school systems across Calhoun's service area attended.~~The Expo is targeted to high school and college students and brings together local businesses, industries and employers who provide the jobs in our area and the young people who will soon fill those jobs. The Expo is a day of career exploration and is not a job fair. There is no charge to participate in this event.

This year, the Expo will focus on exposing students to the current lack of soft skills which exist in the workplace. Information about the five soft skills of Communication, Teamwork, Professionalism, Adaptability, and Self-Motivation, will be found at various booths throughout the Expo. "Those students attending the event will also have the opportunity to visit booths and displays which will be more interactive this year, with a number of hands-on activities to catch their interest," commented Gwen Baker, coordinator of Calhoun's Tech Prep program and the Workforce Expo.

The Career & Workforce Expo is an annual program sponsored by the Calhoun Community College Tech Prep Consortium in conjunction with the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and the Morgan County Economic Development Association.

Additional support is provided each year by area businesses and industries. Gold sponsor for the event is Joe Wheeler EMC. Silver sponsors are 3M, Bunge, Redstone Federal Credit Union and Toray CFA. Special support is provided each year by Pepsi Cola Decatur, LLC.

The Calhoun Tech Prep Consortium includes Calhoun Community College, Athens City Schools, Decatur City Schools, Hartselle City Schools, Limestone County Schools, Madison City Schools, and Morgan County Schools.

For more information about the Expo, contact Gwen Baker, Calhoun Tech Prep, at 256-306-2665 or via email at gzb@calhoun.edu .

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