Academy opens its doors for Goose-themed Community Day
Students to showcase career, technical programs with hands-on activities Sept. 26
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LEWISTOWN -- On most mornings, the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology in Lewistown hums with the steady rhythm of career and technical education.
Welding sparks crackle in one wing, health students practice clinical skills in another and culinary students move through their kitchen lab with the kind of focus that comes from knowing their work is real.
From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 26, that hum becomes something brighter as the Academy will open its doors for Community Day during the Goose Day festivities, inviting families, neighbors and curious visitors to experience career and technical education in action.
It's a chance to see students doing what they do best: learning by doing, creating with purpose and sharing their skills with the community that supports them.
Academy Administrative Director A. Michael Durn sees the day as both celebration and showcase.
"This event is an opportunity for the public to see the tremendous programs that are offered at the Academy," Durn said. "Many of our programs will be offering events that are geared towards Goose Day. We are still finalizing some aspects of this event, but my staff is working diligently to have this event ready for our community."
That Goose Day twist is woven throughout the morning. Culinary Arts students are preparing a goose-themed brunch dish from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the cafeteria, transforming a regional tradition into a hands-on culinary lesson. Health Professions students will host a Goose Day Health Clinic for Kids, offering simple, friendly demonstrations that help children understand wellness, and blood pressure screenings for all ages. Members of the National Technical Honor Society will add a splash of color with Goose Day face painting.
The Academy's Early Childhood Education program will also join the celebration in the ECE classroom, where preschoolers can enjoy temporary tattoos, read alouds, goose egg hunts with prizes and scavenger games. It's a playful extension of the program's work, connecting Goose Day fun with early learning principles.
The Agriculture Science program will showcase a new laser engraver in the Ag Shop, while Construction Trades will hold a tape measure competition as well as corn hole. The Welding and Electrical programs will tag-team a valve cover racing event at the Academy's front entrance.
The Academy's Community Day is built around interaction. Visitors won't just watch students work; they'll step into the labs, classrooms and shops where those skills take shape. Program demonstrations will run throughout the morning, giving families a chance to see how welding students handle equipment, how IT students troubleshoot problems, how cosmetology students practice techniques and how health students prepare for clinical settings.
Every station is student-run, giving Academy learners the chance to lead, explain and demonstrate. For many, it's a moment of pride.
Career and technical education thrives on relevance. Students learn by doing, and they learn best when their work connects to the world around them. Community Day brings that connection full circle. Families see the programs their children might one day join. Employers see the next generation of skilled workers. Younger students see possibilities they may not have imagined.
The morning also highlights the Academy's student organizations, including Career and Technical Student Organizations that will host fundraisers and interactive activities. These groups help students build leadership, teamwork and communication skills, all while supporting the programs they represent.
Above all, Community Day is designed to be welcoming. Whether families come for the Goose Day games, the demonstrations, the food or simply to enjoy a morning out, the Academy wants them to feel at home.
"Everyone is welcome," Durn said. "This event is about community spirit and showing people the exciting opportunities our Academy provides."
The Academy's staff and students have spent weeks preparing, shaping activities that are both fun and meaningful. Goose Day may be the theme, but the heart of the event is the Academy itself -- its programs, its people and its commitment to hands-on learning.
Visitors can expect a morning filled with movement, curiosity and plenty of smiles.
Children will chase goose eggs across the lawn. Families will wander through labs and classrooms. Students will demonstrate skills they've worked hard to master. And throughout it all, the Academy's mission will be on display: preparing students for futures built on confidence, competence and opportunity.
For updates, visit the Academy's Facebook page.