Then and now: EHOVE Career Center

MILAN TWP. — Much has changed since 1968, but EHOVE Career Center continuously grows to prepare the area's workforce.This year marks the vocational school's 50th anniversary, which was celebrated last weekend with multiple activities including a rededication ceremony. Generations of students past and present have credited the school for their success.Right now, about 870 high school students from 16 school districts and 2,000 to 2,500 adults rely on training from more than 30 of the school's programs, from medical careers to diesel tech and beyond."EHOVE Career Center is an energized, welcoming school that offers a variety of in-demand career tech training programs to area high school and adult learners," operations director Dave Jenkins said. "A trained workforce is a critical part of the area's economic engine and EHOVE plays an integral part by helping ensure that area employers have the skilled employees they need."Creighton Ghrist, administrator Phil Seker and Norwalk resident George Linn helped establish EHOVE Career Center. Ghrist would become the vocational school's first superintendent. How EHOVE startedIn the mid-1960s, more than 20 people studied the likelihood of building a vocational school for residents in Erie, Huron Ottawa counties. Soon, officials decided to name it EHOVE (Erie Huron Ottawa vocational education), "a historian nod to the local (Native American) tribes," EHOVE's website states.Creighton Ghrist, who would become the vocational school's first superintendent, helped establish the school with administrator Phil Seker and Norwalk resident George Linn. Before EHOVE opened, Springfield Clark in Dayton and Penta Career Center in Perrysburg were established."We were the third career center in the state," EHOVE historian Jim Mutchler said at the rededication ceremony Sunday. "When they were planning this, there wasn't any blueprint. They were really pioneers. We always hoped it would be this successful because we knew there was a need for trained graduates in the workforce and it's been amazing to see it grow."James Rhodes, who served as Ohio governor during the of EHOVE's beginnings, believed in making residents employable by providing training."A constitutional amendment approved by the voters in November 1968 provided for the issuance of $779 million worth of bonds, including $100 million for vocational, technical, and higher education and juvenile rehabilitation," according to the website. "EHOVE had the opportunity for 50/50 in matching state funds, prompting the board to put a 1.5-mill bond issue on the ballot to start the building fund."Officials decided to design the campus-style layout of the school's property and offer about 21 programs. Many of the school districts whose students attend today were members in the beginning. Construction workers broke ground in the fall of 1967, but winter conditions delayed progress on Building D for mechanical programs. Students were bussed to Monroeville, Norwalk and NASA for classes. Buildings A, B and F for business training and technical education were soon built.Students in EHOVE Career Center's farm management program are pictured in this undated photo. One of EHOVE's earliest programs was Farm Management and students "could borrow $10,000 to $15,000 from Norwalk Production Credit and buy supplies and equipment," the website states. "The same equipment used on the farm, tractors and combines, was the same equipment used in class."In 2013, officials broke ground on its Science and Technology building, an $8.2 million facility containing high-tech labs and spacious classrooms. A multi-purpose room, called "The Center," can be found inside. A rendering of EHOVE Career Center's campus shows where officials want to add on to and renovate buildings A and B, which should begin next March. The project should finish by 2020. Pressing forwardBy next summer, EHOVE's plans call for further improvement.Officials want to have additions for Buildings A and B for its public safety, culinary and early childhood programs along with 90 parking spaces. The existing media center, cafeteria kitchen, student dining will be updated, with entrances to the buildings made more secure.The project's architect, The Collaborative Inc., and construction manager Adena Corporation of Mansfield will oversee design and construction, respectively. The project is expected to cost $12-13 million with EHOVE's facilities funds will cover the project's costs, Jenkins said."EHOVE Career's Center's mission is to continuously update and enhance our learning environments to reflect what our students will encounter in business and industry," superintendent Sharon Mastroianni said. "This remodel and expansion project will give our high school and adult instructors improved learning space and resources so they can continue to deliver relevant and advanced training."Added Jenkins: "I am excited for the project to begin. It will create amazing educational spaces for our high school and adult education students and allow us to continue to provide a highly trained workforce for area employers."Officials are always looking to make sure EHOVE offers relevant programming"The needs of students and area employers are regularly surveyed to ensure the district is offering the training needed by the area's workforce," Jenkins said. "The results of feedback lead to new programs being developed. Based on current needs, a new program, cyberSecurity, will be offered for the 2019-2020 school year at the high school level."Malorie Malson, a senior cosmetology student, uses a virtual reality computer at EHOVE's new zSpace Lab on Thursday, March 23, 2017.Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodInstructor Jake Schlottag helps Tara Myers, 12, assemble a drone during STEM Camp at EHOVE Career Center on Wednesday, June 13, 2018.EHOVE Career Center in Milan Township.