Operation Round Up donation assists Houston County Career Academy
When Houston County Career Academy (HCCA) Director Glenn Maloy needed help outfitting a new biology lab, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative’s (WEC's) Operation Round Up (ORU) Charitable Foundation delivered.
ORU, which is funded through the monthly contributions of WEC members, presented the career academy with a $5,000 check earlier this year. Maloy says the money helped the career-technical institution purchase equipment and materials like microscopes, scales, skeletons, and beakers.
“The lab was already in place. The microscopes, scales, the bones, and the beakers — we had absolutely none of that,” he says. “The funds I have for career-tech, I can’t use for that. Biology is technically not a career-tech class.”
Even though biology lab classes are part of the standard curriculum, conducting them at the HCCA campus supports many of the career-focused initiatives the school offers.
“We have health care classes here, and a lot of those students are going into healthcare-related fields, which certainly ties into biology,” Maloy says. “We also have dual enrollment classes here that tie into biology. We have medical assisting as a college credit. We have an emergency medical services class, which is a college credit.”
Since HCCA serves the five high schools in the Houston County Schools system, its students often lose instruction time commuting to the downtown Dothan campus. Having the ability to conduct biology classes at HCCA improves the efficiency of instruction, Maloy says.
“Having biology here with dual enrollment, since they do have to travel, it is a little more convenient for them,” he says. “My long-range plan for this facility is for them to take any class that they need as a credit here on our campus.”
Houston County Schools Superintendent Brandy White, Maloy, and other officials expressed gratitude for the donation, while WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro stressed how much the ORU board loves to support education initiatives and programs.
“Investing in future generations constitutes a significant part of WEC’s mission to better the communities we serve,” Kimbro says. “Career-technical classes produce students who can quickly enter the workforce and provide much-needed help in a variety of industries. Many times students find their calling through these classes and develop great careers they enjoy. We are honored to assist the Houston County Career Academy in these efforts.”
Houston County Career Academy Programs
- Automotive services
- Business/marketing
- Information technology
- Pre-engineering
- Education and training
- Work-based learning
- Health sciences