Middle Schoolers Test Future Careers Across 19 Hands-On Labs
Kalida, OH · November 7, 2026
Flannel weather has settled over the township for good, just in time for early holiday craft hunting down the road this morning.
The Lead
Over 780 eighth-grade students from thirteen regional school districts, including Kalida, wrapped up an immersive two-day career exploration tour at Vantage Career Center this week. Rather than flipping through pamphlets, students rotated through 19 active technical labs, operating carpentry sanders, diagnosing vehicle electronics with automotive scan tools, practicing on virtual welding simulators, and learning emergency medical protocols. Current vocational students led each station, offering candid peer perspectives on balancing technical credentials with high school academics.
The annual tours give eighth graders concrete experience with high-demand trades, health sciences, and engineering paths well before they schedule high school electives or decide on career-technical applications next fall. Counselors note that early exposure helps students connect classroom coursework to regional industrial opportunities across northwest Ohio. Kalida students will review their pathway reflections with guidance staff during upcoming winter course planning sessions.
Local Pulse
- Veterans Office Launches Holiday Food Voucher Distribution Community Eligible local veterans and surviving spouses can pick up one-hundred-dollar grocery certificates starting Monday morning in nearby Ottawa.
Today's Outlook
- High 49°F · Low 39°F — Overcast
- Keep a reliable jacket handy for gray skies and chilly daylight breezes today.
What's On Around Town
Today
Ottawa Elementary Holiday Craft Show Ottawa Elementary (123 Putnam Pkwy), Ottawa, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Handmade gifts, seasonal decor, and local makers benefiting children's community programs.
Live Music: Pinup Project Duo Hillside Winery, Gilboa, 5:30 PM Acoustic covers and original tunes paired with local wines overlooking the river.
Tomorrow
- Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony Downtown Findlay (Main St), Findlay, 2:00 PM · Free
Monday
Preschool Story Time Kalida Branch Library, 10:00 AM · Free
Using Google Maps Workshop Putnam County District Library (136 Putnam Pkwy), Ottawa, 1:30 PM · Free
Family Paint Party Ottoville Branch Library, Ottoville, 6:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- The Old Grist Mill Site
- In 1836, town founders Abraham Sarber and Sheldon Guthrie constructed a water-powered grist mill along the creek, establishing the settlement's earliest trade. Where frontier wagons once queued with bushels of grain, quiet backyard lawns and shifting cottonwoods shade the water today.
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