Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

SciTech aims to foster connections



DELANO, MN – A partnership between Delano Public Schools, the City of Delano, and the Delano Area Chamber of Commerce will be in full force with the first-ever SciTech showcase Thursday, April 10 from noon until 8 p.m.

A week-long event, the showcase will also include local business tours building up to the showcase, according to Delano High School Principal Dr. Steven Heil.

When Heil came to Delano two years ago, he met with Will Haack, who is the chairman of the Delano Area Chamber of Commerce’s economic development committee, other chamber members, and city officials.

“We decided to come together as one group to help each other,” Heil said.

As a result of this partnership, the SciTech showcase was born. The Delano City Council proclaimed April 6-12 as Delano SciTech Week at its meeting Tuesday night.

“We can feature what our businesses do and what our businesses need for employees,” Heil said.

The showcase will have a booth area that will allow community members the opportunity to interact with local businesses, high school and middle school students and teachers, and institutions of higher education, according to Heil.

It is designed to help everyone see the connection between what our school age students are currently learning within the classroom, and where in the community it fits into a career.

Institutions of higher education will be there to provide information on certificates, degrees, and programs they offer to help connect post-high school training to careers.

“We’re all coming together to really showcase for our community members all the great things we do here in Delano, and what we’re about,” Heil said.

This event has something for everyone.

“If you are interested in learning about the internationally-known companies that exist in and around Delano, or what our students learn in their classrooms and how that connects to college and career, the Delano SciTech Showcase does that,” Heil said. “If you are interested to see the various institutions of higher education and what certificates, degrees, and programs they offer and how they relate to career, the Delano SciTech Showcase does that, too.”

The Delano SciTech Showcase aims to educate community on the many opportunities that exist in Delano for its citizens, while informing them of the businesses and their products.

“We’re going to try to make a connection there between what the students are learning to what they’ll need in careers and real life,” Heil said.

A number of colleges will participate to bridge the connections, along with representatives from the United States Armed Forces.

“This is not just a thing for high school kids,” Heil said. “It’s also for middle school. It’s also for our citizens. If you’re looking for a job or career change, you can come down there and see what our local businesses and industry have to offer. This is really a whole community initiative.”

Heil said the local schools should be at the center of the community.

“In Delano, you find that is true,” he said. “What people tend to forget, is that the local businesses are the glue that hold the community and local schools together. When we are able to solidify that, we, as an entire community can accomplish anything.”

Watch for more on SciTech in the next two editions of the Delano Herald Journal.

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