MARQUETTE, Mich. — Ninety-two junior and senior students who are a part of the Copper Country Intermediate School District’s state-approved Career & Technical Education (CTE) Health Sciences program, and representing every local high school from the Copper Country, received an inspiring, hands-on look at their future careers during a visit to Northern Michigan University (NMU) on October 28.
The students who are enrolled in any of the three CTE Health Careers classes or four CTE Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) classes, traveled to Marquette for the annual NMU Open Lab Day. The Copper Country ISD group was the largest contingent of students to attend from across the Upper Peninsula.
Hosted by NMU’s School of Clinical Sciences and Nursing, the event is designed to move education beyond the textbook and give students a "very hands-on" experience with the technology and procedures they will encounter in the field.
Guided by NMU faculty, staff, and current university students, visiting CTE students rotated through seven state-of-the-art facilities. They participated in interactive demonstrations, including:
Clinical Lab Sciences: Students had the opportunity to perform their own blood typing.
Surgical Technology: A close-up look at the tools and sterile environment of an operating room.
Nursing Simulation Lab: Interacting with high-fidelity manikins that simulate real patient scenarios.
Radiography Lab: Seeing the technology behind X-rays and medical imaging.
Other labs: The tour also included the Speech, Language, and Hearing Science Clinic; the CLS Molecular Lab; and the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center.
Sherida Riipi, an administrative assistant for the NMU School of Clinical Sciences, said the event’s mission is twofold: to "get the word out on these programs" and to help students "figure out what their careers are and... their next steps."
The event highlights the critical demand for professionals in the region. "We need healthcare workers more than ever, so it's a great opportunity for our students to get to explore and hopefully want to be a healthcare worker," Riipi said.
"The NMU Open Lab Day is a fantastic opportunity that bridges the gap between our classroom curriculum and the real-world technology students will use as professionals," said Amanda Hermanson, Copper Country ISD - CTE Health Careers Instructor. "Giving our students this hands-on time to explore so many different medical fields, from surgical technology to clinical lab sciences, is incredibly valuable. It ignites their curiosity and helps them make informed decisions as they build their future pathway in healthcare."
The Copper Country ISD state-approved CTE Health Careers and CNA programs are open to students from Houghton and Keweenaw County high schools at the Copper Country ISD Career Tech Center in Hancock as well as to students from Baraga County high schools at, and in collaboration with, KBOCC in L’Anse.
(PICTURED: Claire Zubiena, former Copper Country ISD CTE Health Careers student, Calumet High School Class of 2025 graduate, and current student leads a group of current CTE Health Careers students learning to properly don and doff sterile gloves in the surgical technology center at NMU.)