West Clermont High School Awarded Funds For Students

Today students at West Clermont High School received an important new leap ahead toward careers in the growing field of Sports Medicine. A new $1,000 Transforming Education Grant from WGU Ohio provides the high school’s Sports Medicine students with laboratory and study supplies needed to prepare for the Physical Therapist Aide Certification Program. Passage of the exam qualifies students for jobs in the growing health care field of sports medicine and physical therapy.

“West Clermont’s sports medicine program is an outstanding example of how high schools can align their programs with the needs of employers so that students have the skills they need to start careers in in-demand fields. It’s a privilege to support an innovative project like this that empowers students to pursue sports medicine careers. Andrea Taktak and her fellow educators at West Clermont are an inspiration to us and a gift to Ohio’s students,” said Dr. K.L. Allen, chancellor of WGU Ohio.

“WGU Ohio’s grant will help us expand our Sports Medicine course into a two-year program that offers students a chance to take the certification exam for Physical Therapy Aide. This is a field that many students are interested in at our school and I’m grateful to WGU Ohio for supporting these opportunities for them,” said Andrea Taktak, Biological Sciences Teacher at West Clermont High School.

Equipment that Taktak will be able to obtain with the WGU Ohio grant includes small and full-sized human skeleton models, muscle models, joint models, athletic tape, weights, and other items that will give students hands-on experience with concepts used in exercise science and sports medicine. The enhanced learning opportunities will better prepare students for the Physical Therapist Aide certification exam so they can start sports medicine careers.

WGU Ohio’s Transforming Education Grant initiative was launched to support inspirational K-12 educators expand classroom experiences and employ innovative techniques to engage and challenge students, as well as to express appreciation for their tireless work educating the next generation of Ohioans.

“It takes a special kind of person to prepare today’s young minds for tomorrow’s challenges and we know that teachers can always use a helping hand in the classroom,” said Dr. K.L. Allen, chancellor of WGU Ohio. “Educators are among our nation’s most essential professionals, and they deserve our thanks and support for what they do every day to help develop the leaders of tomorrow. Through these grants, WGU is proud to give back to our teachers and thank them for all they do.”

Western Governors University was established in 1997 by a partnership of 19 state governors to offer students, particularly adult learners, the chance to go to college while working and caring for their families. In 2018, Ohio became the eighth additional state to join the WGU partnership, part of policymakers’ efforts to close Ohio’s skills gap with a new pathway for adults to seek careers in such in-demand careers as healthcare and nursing, business, teaching, and information technology.