United Technologies Center

Hermon Middle School Tour

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:41:08 -0400

75+ lucky Hermon 8th graders toured every class available at UTC today. We had a great time showing them around! This is one of many 8th grade and sophomore tours UTC has had this year, with still more to come.

“MAINEiacs” Support Career and Technical Education

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:38:29 -0500

The Maine Air National Guard (MeANG) senior leadership and their Recruiting team recently had anopportunity to dine at United Technologies Center (UTC) in Bangor. UTC offers lunch in their caféon Thursday of most weeks through the school year. Lunch is prepared and served by the CulinaryArts program students in their café in the school. The lunch is an ideal opportunity for the communityto connect with the staff and students. It allows the students to practice their hospitality skills andaffords the community an opportunity to see these students at their best. UTC is proud to offerthis lunch and appreciates the support of citizens and businesses that come to dine with them. Mr.Fred Woodman, Director of UTC, and Mr. Merle Adams, Assistant Director, extended the hospitalityof reserving a table for our group. The MeANG has developed a strong relationship with UTC. Weencourage any unit members, both officer and enlisted, to visit their café. This is an awarenessopportunity, for both the school and the MeANG and UTC remains a great lead generating source forus. Please consider this opportunity in your schedule.Contact MSgt John Cyr, TSgt Norm Stanton,or TSgt Dan Goddard to learn more. The cost of lunch is around $5.00 (not including tip!) and the timeis from 1140 – 1230. It is limited seating and takes approximately an hour for lunch.Thank you forsupporting our culture of “everyone is a recruiter”.

Weatherization Training Center

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:16:25 -0500

The Weatherization Training Center at United Technologies Center (UTC) in Bangor was established by MaineHousing in support of the US Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program to enhance the hands-on training component of weatherization field workers including auditors and weatherization technicians. Training courses are offered through the UTC Adult Education Program.

Full course descriptions and detailed schedules are available from the adult education office at 947-6474 or on-line at www.utcae.com. All courses are taught at United Technologies Center (UTC), the regional public Career & Technical Education secondary school in Bangor.

The facilities at UTC include a 20' x 10' computer controlled “pressure house”, blower doors, thermal cameras, combustion analyzers, calculators, spray foam equipment, cellulose insulation blower, and fully equipped shop.

Ford AAA Competition held May 14, 2011

Fri, 20 May 2011 20:49:12 -0400

Congratulations to the UTC students who participated in the Ford AAA competition at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon. Ten brand new 2012 Ford Mustangs were set up with bugs or problems. The contest objectives were to find all the problems, and repair them in the shortest amount of time with the best quality.

Fort Written Test - 16th Place out of 10,000 +
John Gerald, Ford Written Test, 16^th place of 10,000+ - John Bapst

Team Event: 2^nd Place Ford AAA State Championship
Tim Huchinson, $23,000 in Scholarships to a variety of schools - Central High School
John Gerald, $23,000 in Scholarships to a variety of schools - John Bapst

Environmental Horticulture Students Successful at FFA Competitions

Thu, 12 May 2011 10:12:03 -0400

Founded in 1928, the Future Farmers of America brought together students, teachers and agribusiness to support agricultural education. Today, the National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Now, the organization is expanding the nation's view of "traditional" agriculture and finding new ways to infuse agriculture into the classroom.

UTC's Environmental Horticulture offers plant and crop studies to improve our environment and food productivity. Students also conduct research or oversee activities to halt the spread of insect-borne disease.

May 5th and 6th was the FFA state competitions held at the University of Maine. The following students participated and brought back awards. Jeff Beswick is the Advisor for FFA at UTC.

1st Place Team Award in Nursery/Landscape

Dylan Scott, 1st place individual - Central
Zach Merchant, 2nd place individual - Old Town
Thyresa Branner 3rd place individual - Central
Jordan Soucy 4th place individual - Brewer

1st Place Team Award Forestry

Rachel Pomeroy, 2nd place individual - Hermon
Josh Tambora, 3rd place individual - Central
Dylan Scott, 6th place individual - Central

State of Maine Inspection License Testing Available to UTC Students

Thu, 12 May 2011 09:00:42 -0400

The Automotive Suspension Program has been preparing interested students for the Maine State Inspection Exam. The inspection arm of the Maine State Police will be in the Automotive Suspension classroom to test the students for this license. Fourteen (14) participants from the following programs have students who are taking the exam on Thursday, May 12.

Automotive Suspension Engineering & Control Systems
Heavy Equipment Maintenance &
Auto Body & Refinishing Technology
Automotive Diagnostics Engineering

National Technical Honor Society Inductees for 2010-2011

Wed, 11 May 2011 20:29:52 -0400

Excellence in America's workforce begins with excellence in workforce education!

The National Technical Honor Society is America's highest award for excellence in technical education. The following students were nominated by their instructors to be an inductee in NTHS national organization.

Katrina Coston - Building Construction Management, Bangor
Kaitlyn Dunn - Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Brewer
Aaron Jellison - Public Safety, Home Schooled, Herman
Hannah Lugdon - Health Occupations (CNA), Home Schooled, Dedham
Jordan Smith - Public Safety, Hampden Academy

CTE Students of the Year 2010 - 2011

Wed, 11 May 2011 18:56:21 -0400

Each year United Technologies Center's instructors nominate students for this prestigious honor based on promoting ethical citizenship and excellence by modeling our core values of Honesty, Integrity, Consistancy, Caring and Professionalship. We congratulate, Aaron, Katrina, Hannah, Bridget and Jordan.

Aaron Jellison represented UTC at the Culinary Arts complex at Lewiston Regional Technical Center as the State of Maine honored Students of the Year 2010-2011.

Aaron Jellison, Public Safety - EMCC Fire Science; continue working at Orono Fire Dept.
Katrina Coston, Building Constr. Mgmt. - UMaine Augusta, BS in Architecture; continue to Boston School of Architecture
Hannah Lugdon, Health Occupations - Husson University, Nursing
Bridget McCauley, Culinary Arts & Hospitality - Johnson and Wales University, Baking and Pastry Arts
Jordan Smith, Public Safety - University of Maine, Nursing

Chef Flewelling - Best Sandwich Champion & Best Sandwich Flavor of Eastern Maine

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:57:52 -0400

Congratulations to UTC's Chef Russ Flewelling!!

Best Sandwich Champion and Best Sandwich Flavor

Sysco of Northern New England held "The Best Sandwich in Eastern Maine Cook-Off" at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor. There were approximately 20 competitiors who were judged on flavor, creativity and presentation. They only had 10 - 15 minutes to prepare their sandwich. Chef Flewelling prepared the following: roasted pork loin, shaved on fresh focaccia bread with a roasted garlic mayonnaise and slaw made out of cucumbers, spicy apple and pickled shallots. He has two (2) plaques and a $500 gift certificate.

THANKSGIVING DONATION FROM STUDENTS AT UTC

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:09:50 -0500

Friday's food card provides students the ability to purchace goods that will be used for turkey purchases for Z107.3's 'Free The Z', a turkey drive for local communities' food pantries.

UTC OPEN HOUSE - October 12

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 10:42:18 -0400

Invitation_FLYER_for_PARENTS_10_.pdf

Twenty-four (24) colleges will be available for questions and documentation. Several programs will be have presentations with a discussion of past student successes. Everyone is encouraged to tour the building. Representatives from MIT, Harvard, and Boston College have visited UTC and commented on the professionalism of our students, the appearance of the building, and our knowledgable staff.

Please visit us so you can see for yourself what the best technical high school in the State of Maine has to offer to students and the community.

Public Safety's Mock Accident

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:45:27 -0400

Mock ATV Accident - Kills 1 and Injuries 1

Traveling at a good rate of speed with a driver and passenger, a small 4-wheeler ATV went off the pavement and hit the only concrete abutment in sight. Both the rider and passenger were thrown from the vehicle, and both were injured. One of the youths died at the scene, and the other was stabilized and transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

That was the scenario this morning at Bangor's United Techologies Center on Hogan Road. Ritchie Palmer, Public Safety Instructor, decided it was a great day to have his students outdoors honing the skills they'd been learning all year. With the help of Don Wade, of Orrington, local moulage artiste, very realistic "fake injuries" - including a severed hand - were applied to the two riders, the accident was staged, and the Public Safety students were called to the scene to deal with the "carnage". Responding to the location were the school's own fire truck and ambulance, and the students in the various roles sprung to action, taking the whole incident very seriously. All the while, students from the Health Occupations class watched and, from the sidelines, evaluated the injuries and treatment, while additional students from the Commercial Video Communication class recorded the entire event on film.

The whole spontaneous event went so well that plans were afoot for the afternoon students to repeat the exercise. It was a valuable educational experience for all involved, including the faculty and staff.

For Additional Information, please contact:

Merle Adams, Assistant Director

United Technologies Center

200 Hogan Road

Bangor, ME 04401-5604

207.942.5296 (phone)

207.942.0776n (fax)

Information Technology's Google Doogle State Winner

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:40:50 -0400

Students from the IT Lab entered a contest with Google to design a winning Doodle (click here to read about the contest) that will appear on Google's home page. Over 33,000 students from across the country entered the contest with each state acquiring 2 winners.

Click here for the history of the Doodles. This year's theme was "If I could do anything, I would..."

The pictures of the selected students' drawings are below.

Patrick Campbell, Winner for State of Maine

Justin Clewley, one of 6 selected for entry.

Zach Gott, one of 6 selected for entry

Connor McAdam, one of 6 selected for entry

Josh Parent, one of 6 selected for entry

Nick Thomas, one of 6 selected for entry

ACTE REGION 1 CONFERENCE HELD AT UTC

Mon, 17 May 2010 19:16:16 -0400

United Technologies Center was chosen as the site for the ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) Region I Conference for April 29 - May 1, 2010. ACTE (http://www.acteonline.org/) is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. Please visit the web site for further information.

The theme for the conference was "From Green Energy to Composites. What Does the Future Hold for CTE?

The Keynote address was delivered by Dr. Habib Dagher, Director of the Advanced Composites Center, University of Maine. Dr. Dagher has received numerous awards and leads the Deepwind Consortium which includes over 30 private and public institutions for offshore wind technologies. He has has testified to the US Senate as well as to US Secretary of Energy Chu.

For futher information please visit the Universit y of Maine's Advance Structures and Composites Laboratory (www.aewc.umaine.edu).

Three presentations were available with the following topics:

-CTE Faculty Education Courses

-Education for the Twenty-First Century (Implications for the CTE Teachers and Administrators"

-Cool Technologies You Can Actually Afford

Students at Maine VEX competition place 2nd

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:59:40 -0400

Saturday, March 27th several students from the Robotics Program participated in the Maine VEX competition held at the University of Maine. Eighteen teams from New England arrived seeking the winner's position. UTC's Team 1995A entered the eliminations in last place and made it to the finals with a 2nd place win (same as last year).

R. J. Perry, a two year graduate from the Robotics Program now furthering an engineering degree at UM, was an assistant with the competiton. The winner of this competition from Massachusetts has the honor of attending the national event in Texas. Check out the site (link is above) for further information.

Return soon for pictures and names of students who participated and assisted with the building and operational systems of the robot.

Maine State SkillsUSA competition held at UTC

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:47:31 -0400

All technical high schools were represented this year at the Maine State SkillsUSA competitions. For most young adults, it takes courage and support to prepare and compete at a state, regional and national level competition. We are extremely proud of our students and appreciative of all the support for this valuable student-centered learning experience. Please visit UTC's SkillsUSA page for a listing of all the participants. All gold medalists have the opportunity to attend the national SkillsUSA Competitions.

Robotics Team 1995 Competes at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:32:00 -0400

Our Robotic Engineering Tech students spent three intense days from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. competing against 26 other teams in the annual FIRST Robotics Regional Competition held in Worcester, MA. Twenty-five UTC team members (9 from UTC, 2 from the University of Maine and 2 from Eastern Maine Community College participated in this highly energized competition. They placed 16th overall which is outstanding. The team also won the prestigious Industrail Safety Award and the Excellence in Design Award. Participants' names and additional information can be found by clicking here.

UTC STUDENTS GET ROBOTIC "LEG UP" ON PHYSICS

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:17:17 -0500

Twenty-four (24) students from a number of area high schools, participating in the one-year Robotics program at the United Technologies Center in Bangor, will soon be leaving for regional competition in Worcester, MA. The team was established four years ago, and by popular vote of its charter members it was dubbed “FATAL ERROR” – a computer technology term. Computers are what “drive” most of what the team does.

In its short existence, the team has traveled to Hartford and Boston, and this year will be at Massachusetts’s Worcester Poly-Tech, competing from March 10th through 13th. The goal this year was to design a totally maneuverable semi-autonomous robot, capable of maneuvering a soccer ball around an arena, over obstacles as high as 14”, and with the ultimate objective of kicking the soccer ball through a target ring into a goal.

UTC’s robot was designed and built entirely by the students, meeting specified operational parameters chosen from a slate of possible actions, all of which have been presented by FIRST Robotics. “FIRST” is an acronym of “For Inspiration (and) Recognition (of) Science (and) Technology”, a program developed by inventor Dean Kamen, co-founder of Deka Research and Development of Manchester, NH. This year, precisely at 10 a.m. on January 9, each team, nation-wide, was assigned the tasks their robot is to perform.   They all found out simultaneously from the Internet, through a NASA satellite link beamed live from Deka’s headquarters in Manchester. Once the assignment is known, the team – which had met for months in anticipation of this event – begins to actually design the robot. It’s a true team effort.

The robot is built from a $6,000 kit of basic components, purchased from Deka, which arrives a huge plastic bin. The actual configuration of the robot is determined by the students – no two robots look or operate alike. In the case of UTC’s robot, built on a rectangular chassis with a wheeled stationary leg at each corner, its most striking component is a series of “Quonset-style” arches – bright blue “loops” built of PEX tubing obtained from UTC’s Plumbing and Heating Technology department – to provide roll-over protection for the computer and mechanical components. The chassis’s perimeter is protected by fabric-covered dark-blue bumpers, constructed from used “pool noodles” which were donated by the Bangor Y.

All through the design and construction process, the UTC students are working with UTC FIRST Robotics alumni – themselves former UTC students who have moved on into Engineering and Technology programs at both the University of Maine and Eastern Maine Community College. This interaction provides the current UTC students valuable exposure to the area’s higher education programs. The robotics program is very heavily “laced” with physics and engineering, and through robotics the students learn a very solid lesson in the application of principles of both disciplines.

The robot ships out of Bangor on February 23rd, in a 4’x4’x6’ crate. The “FATAL ERROR” Team departs for WPI on March 10th.   During the competition, the entire school can watch their team’s achievements on the Internet, via the NASA Satellite link. During the actual competition, the team-built robot is then driven by one student, while a second student operates the robot’s mechanical kicker.

Ron Canarr, of Orrington, has been the FIRST Robotics instructor for the entire four years. When asked how the school became involved in the competition, he replied, “How can we say this? Former (UTC) director Greg Miller ‘persuaded’ me to try it”. Canarr’s father was an engineer, and he followed in his father’s footsteps. He grew up in a “mechanical environment”, exposed to communications and engineering at an early age. His youth experience included controlling studio communication equipment from a remote location. Though his degree is actually in education, his talent is in technology. In Canarr’s life, robotics is coupled with computers and communication. Today, his students mirror his taste for technology.

Two years ago, a UTC robot was sent by Canarr's mother via U.S. Mail to his brother Rick, stationed in Kyrgyzstan with the U.S. Air Force. Canarr noted that one package carrier wanted $1,000, and another wanted $400. The postage was $60. After uncrating and set-up by Rick Canarr, the robot was operated through a series of complex maneuvers by students at UTC in Bangor, and they watched real-time video of its actions through the same satellite link through which the commands were being sent.

Both Fred Woodman, UTC Director, and Merle Adams, Assistant Director, are very enthusiastic about the program, the team, and its achievements. Adams noted that UTC had frequent visits by teams of educators from the Department of Education in the neighboring Canadian province of New Brunswick. The province had let its technical education program “slip away” about 15 years ago. Its absence began to cause increases in high school drop-out rates, and the lack of a skilled labor force was having a negative effect on the provincial economy.    For the last five years, NB educators have visited various technical education programs in both Canada and the U.S, including UTC, to “observe the (program) framework, take it back (to NB) and modify it to meet their needs, and are rebuilding their technical education program”. After that initial round of visits, their focus and repeat visits have been on UTC, and New Brunswick’s program is now heavily based on principles of the “Rigor, Relevance, Relationships, and Reflection” as developed by Dr. Willard "Bill" Daggett and used by UTC.

Outshone by the thrill of robotic competition, the students aren’t focusing on the physics basics they’ve acquired – they’re there to win! In the meantime, they’re doing area high schools proud, and advancing the cause of technical education!

Written by: Mike Gleason, UTC Staff

UTC Main Office: 207.942.5296

Fred Woodman, Director fwoodman.utc@gmail.com
Merle Adams, Dean of Students madams.utc@gmail.com
Ron Canarr, Robotics Instr rcanarr.utc@gmail.com

"INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS"!

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:41:53 -0500

Central High School Senior Dillon Morin, 18, is a resident of Hudson and spends half of each school day at the United Technologies Center (UTC) on Hogan Road. His academic classes are at Central High School in Corinth, but at UTC he's a second-year student in the Culinary Arts program, one of the many Career Training courses offered at the facility.

In a recent letter from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI, Morin was notified not only that he was accepted for admission, but also that he is to receive from JWU a Presidential Scholarship in the amount of $3,500/year for the full four years of his program. Further, he will receive an additional scholarship in the amount of $2,000/year for the full four years through his participation in the Skills USA/VICA Program, of which he's been a member in his two years at UTC. Academically, his record helped him to garner both scholarships. He's a "strong 'A'" student most of the time, with a "B" or two being the occasional exception. He was also accepted for admission at the University of Maine.

Surprisingly, Morin's goal is not to become a chef! His primary interest lies in becoming a Nutritionist. "My whole life I grew up seeing adolescents being teased because of their weight. I really want to help children and adolescents get a healthier lifestyle." Morin went on to say that his JWU education will lead him to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition, with an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts. He hopes to someday be able to live and work in Québec City, the home of one of his grandmothers, and where much of his ancestry lies. "It's a beautiful city", he said, though he admitted that he's never yet actually been there.

Morin lives at home in Hudson with his father and step-mother, Ron and Laura Morin, and sister, Sami. When asked what got him interested in the Culinary Arts program, he replied, "My step-mom and I always cook together - she inspired me". His favorite ingredient is chicken, and he considers homemade Chinese food to be his specialty, acknowledging that most Asian dishes can be very healthfully prepared. In his spare time, Morin likes to "hang out with friends".

He anticipates that his combined scholarships will cover about one-quarter of the cost of his education, so acknowledges that he'll pretty-much have to get a near-full-time job while in college. That doesn't seem to deter him, however: He's a young man with a taste for and a vision of success!

For additional information, please contact Merle Adams, Dean of Students, at 207.942.5298, or madams.utc@gmail.com.
Caption to Accompany Photos (Photos by Mike Gleason)
Central High and UTC Senior Dillon Morin checks the progress of a meal in preparation in the kitchens United Techonologies Center, on Hogan Road in Bangor.

October 13th - College & Career Fair combined with Open House

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:36:17 -0400

UTC's Annual Parent/Teacher Conference - Tuesday, October 13 - 12 noon to 8 pm.

Click here for detailed information.

Parents, high school and middle school students will have an opportunity to interact with our faculty, university, college, military, and business/industrial representatives.