Community Spotlight Community Spotlight: MTI Students Busy Helping Others During the Holidays

BRADENTON – SkillsUSA students from Manatee Technical Institute have been busy during the month of December helping others during the holidays and making a difference in our community.

MTI SkillsUSA cosmetology, facial and nails students collected toiletries and $120 to spend on toiletries to send to US troops. The cosmetology program has been spearheading

projects to support US military personnel each year for over 10 years. It has become a tradition. In past years they have sent the troops phone cards, socks, and valentine’s cards. This year, the class adopted a student’s brother and his platoon serving in the Middle East.

SkillsUSA and HOSA students from the dental assisting program adopted 21 people for Christmas from the Verandas Riverfront independent and assisted living facility in Bradenton. After the students received a list of names and things the residents needed or wanted, they delivered the gifts and spent two and a half hours with them making them feel special. The students were so moved by the experience, many left having “adopted” new grandparents.

MTI Baking and Pastry Arts SkillsUSA students prepared pastries for a Meals on Wheels Senior Shoebox benefit dinner at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. The students’ work on this community service project received kudos from East Manatee Fire Rescue.

Last week, adult education and SkillsUSA students from Electricity, Drafting, Plumbing, Web Design, Networking, and Cosmetology rang bells outside of the Bayshore Publix to help raise money for the Salvation Army.

To assist Habitat for Humanity, MTI SkillsUSA drafting students helped a local family paint their home just in time for the holidays.

Networking program students helped HOPE Family Services move and organize donations for their clients and their children. The students volunteered their time as a SkillsUSA community service project.

The website for SkillsUSA can be found here.

About Manatee Technical Institute

Manatee Technical Institute is a postsecondary career and technical education center under the School District of Manatee County offering over 40 career preparation programs. It is fully accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The mission of Manatee Technical Institute is to meet and exceed our community’s training and educational expectations. MTI is a 2007 Tampa Bay Business of the Year, and its students have won more SkillsUSA medals than any other school in the nation for the past nine years.