Greene County Career Center

HEAPY was engaged to provide MEP and technology design, as well as field observation services, for the new Greene County Career Center. On-campus enrollment in the center’s programs has increased from 514 to nearly 700 in just four years, and the number of students taking individual courses at school districts’ satellite programs has risen from 1,200 to 2,300. The previous facility was built in the mid-1960s, and the new building better serves the needs of current students.

The new building features an open concept with higher ceilings and movable interior walls.  A garage door can open to a common space of three or four classrooms so that students may work together in small spaces.  Flexibility is key. Technology design included structured cabling, wired and wireless networks, building communication systems, A/V systems, and safety and security systems. We also designed realistic technology systems for the teaching classrooms to allow students hands-on and relevant learning opportunities.

The Center offers more than a dozen programs, including automotive, criminal justice, digital media, and welding, as well as high-tech programs such as aerospace technology. The culinary arts program features a Teaching Kitchen and a public restaurant, where students learn about nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, sanitation, and safety. The teaching kitchen features an instructor/demonstration cooking station and four student learning stations. The instructor station is equipped with an A/V system to capture high-resolution video using a pan-tilt-zoom camera. Demonstrations can be recorded or livestreamed throughout the school or directly online.