VIENNA — For Vienna High School (VHS) sophomores, the Jan. 13 trip to Rolla Technical Institute (RTI) was a chance to see, firsthand, what learning can look like beyond the traditional setting.

VHS tenth graders traveled to RTI for a hands-on visit designed to expose students to career and technical education programs they may choose to pursue later. The visit allowed students to watch instructors at work, handle tools and see projects created by current RTI students.

According to VHS Principal Tim Metcalf, that difference matters.

“We can tell them the names of the programs, but students don’t really get to see what they actually do,” Metcalf said. “When they see it and interact, it’s a whole lot more real.”

Throughout the day, students rotated through multiple programs, each offering interactive demonstrations. In the automotive program, they changed tires.

“All the kids do a part of the activity,” Metcalf said. “This time it was changing tires.”

The construction program challenged students in a relay-style activity using tools common on job sites. They worked together under time pressure, often handling equipment they had never experienced before.

“The construction always involves some sort of relay race,” Metcalf said. “They use the tools that professionals would use on the job.”

For Metcalf, watching students navigate that unfamiliar territory is one of the highlights of the visit.

“I always like watching the kids do the relay race in the construction class,” Metcalf said. “There’s other schools there and watching them use some of the tools they may have never seen before, it’s fun. All the students are looking at the tools like it’s an alien.”

In the HVAC program, students were introduced to metal fabrication. They bent sheet metal into star shapes before tack welding the pieces together, combining precision work with creativity.

Beyond the hands-on elements, RTI instructors took time to explain what students would learn if they enrolled in each program, as well as the certifications and credentials available upon completion. Metcalf said those conversations are critical for students who still may be undecided.

“Maybe a student is stuck between two programs,” Metcalf said. “They can go up and see both of those, and then they can pinpoint which program they’re interested in. They can ask questions to professionals and get information about future jobs.”

In some programs, instructors also discussed workforce demand and earning potential. Metcalf noted that the masonry program, in particular, emphasizes opportunity.

The RTI visit is part of a larger process that begins earlier in a student’s academic career. Metcalf explained that students are first introduced to RTI in middle school, then revisit the idea more seriously as sophomores.

“They go as eighth graders and get a small tour,” he said. “Then they go as sophomores, and when we get back, we open up applications.”

Vienna High School is allotted a limited number of seats at RTI each year. After applications are submitted, administrators review them using a rubric to determine which students will attend.

Metcalf said the trip serves multiple purposes. While some students are already interested in technical education, others may not have previously considered RTI as an option.

“Some kids that might not have had any thought of going to RTI might go up there and see what they do,” he said. “It gauges their interest, or improves their interest, makes them a little more excited about it.”

For students weighing college, trade school or uncertainty about what comes next, the visit can be a turning point.

“You can tell them about it all you want,” Metcalf said. “But when they see it, the projects the kids make, it might be the difference between a kid not being interested at all and suddenly having their interest peaked.”

The RTI visit has been a long-standing tradition for Vienna High School and has been going on for decades.

Liz Pogue, RTI/C and school counselor, said the trip is taken annually for several reasons.

“The main goal of this event is to help sophomores who are interested in taking career and technical courses,” Pogue said. “To solidify their program choice for their junior and senior year, and for students who aren’t attending, the goal is to learn about a variety of different career fields.”

Pogue also said they go four times a year.

“And during that time we welcome well over 1,000 sophomores from all of 11 high schools, including Maries R-1,” Pogue said. 

Much like Metcalf, Pogue values increasing knowledge, particularly by helping sophomores gain exposure to potential careers.

“The event gives students hands-on experience before they enroll,” Pogue said. “Offering opportunities in areas such as law enforcement, mechanics, the health industry or even graphic design.”

Before the event, Pogue said she meets with high schools, including VHS sophomores, to determine which programs align with the students’ future interests.