GPA: Imagination Station to present Girl Power event March 2

        All girls in grades 3-8 are invited to Girl Power – Presented by FiberFrame – Imagination Station’s STEAM career day with a twist.
        Girl Power participants don’t just learn about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) – they experience it with strong female professionals at their side.
        Happening Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., girls will engage and interact with women who engineer airplanes and rockets, test water quality, code websites and robots, care for animals and discover the wonders of nature. When girls see strong, female leaders in these roles, they’re empowered to know that they can do it too.
        Sydney Hamilton, with the Boeing Company, is this year's Girl Power keynote speaker. Hamilton will inspire girls to fly and follow their dreams with a presentation and one-on-one question and answer session.
        Throughout the day, girls will experience the science center and explore exciting STEAM activity sessions. Girls will be empowered to explode chemical reactions, engineer structures with marshmallows, code robots and dig for fossils. Each of these hands-on activities will help girls envision their future careers.
        “For girls interested in STEAM subjects, it’s important they have role models that look like them,” said Lori Hauser, chief executive officer at Imagination Station. “Girl Power not only allows girls in our community to see strong, female leaders in STEAM fields but they get to interact and learn from them, which makes a huge difference and shows girls they’re more than capable in these roles.”
        Tickets for Girl Power are available online at imaginationstationtoledo.org. The cost is $25 for participants and $15 for chaperones for Imagination Station members, and $30 for participants and $20 for chaperones for nonmembers.
        Admission includes admission to the event and Imagination Station, talk with a panel of local STEAM professionals, STEAM workshops and hands-on activity tables, lunch and a drawstring bag.
       
Night of the Arts Auction
        Oak Harbor Art Clubs created art pieces to be auctioned to community members at an event to be held Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium lobby. Proceeds raised will go to the Ottawa County Humane Society.             Overmyer Auction Services LLC will be providing their services for the event, which will include pizza and performances by the OHHS Music Performance Group.
        Spaces are limited. Tickets are $15 and are available by contacting Elly Gilbert at egilbert@bcssd.com.
 
Alumni to be honored at Purple and Gold Dinner
        Morrison R. Waite High School is celebrating its 110th year as an educational institution in East Toledo in 2024.
        At the 60th Annual Purple and Gold Dinner Celebration, set for April 13, five Waite graduates will be honored and inducted as Distinguished Waite Alumni.
        The 2024 inductees include:
        • Barry W. DeShetler,  class of 1969 – Religion and Community Service.
        • Linda M. Duez Everhardt-Kardux, class of 1969 – Business and Community Service.
        • Joe Guerrero, class of 1971 – Education and Community Service.
        • Philip J. LaFountain, class of 1992 –Military and Community Service.
        • Robert W. Yenrick, class of 1993 – Education and Community Service.
        These and previous winners have distinguished themselves as successes in their respective careers and/or have served as benefactors to mankind.
        The Purple and Gold Celebration Dinner will be held at St. Michael Centre, 4001 Navarre Ave., Oregon. A social hour and gift basket raffle will begin the evening’s festivities at 6 p.m. Soft drinks, beer and wine will be provided. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m.
        The five Inductees will be introduced at approximately 8 p.m. Fellowship will follow from 9:30-10:30 p.m. A $50 per person reservation is required for the evening.
        Additionally, on Friday, April 12 at 9:30 a.m. the five alumni honorees will be presented to the Waite student body and staff at a special program in the school auditorium. Each inductee will have an opportunity to speak to the members of the audience about their high school life and how they achieved their lifetime goals.
        For information regarding reservations and donations, contact David M. Yenrick at 419-697-1949 or david.yenrick@gmail.com.
 
Scholarship opportunity
        Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is offering a scholarship opportunity to graduating high school seniors who are planning to pursue a career in natural resources or conservation-related field.
        Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to outstanding high school seniors who:
        • Plan to pursue a degree in environmental science, natural resources, or conservation related field at an accredited college or university.
        • Reside in or attend school in Ottawa County or Lucas County.
        • Achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average in high school.
        Scholarships may be used for tuition, fees, books, personal protective equipment, tools, instruments, field equipment, etc.
        Applications must be submitted by Thursday, Feb. 15 and are available online at friendsofottawanwr.org/scholarship.html or in person at the Refuge Visitor Center, 14000 W. SR 2, Oak Harbor. Scholarship recipients will be notified by May 1.
        For more information, please call Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge at 419-898-0014, ext. 13.
        Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)3 non-profit established in 1997 to promote the preservation of the natural and historical resources of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, the only National Wildlife Refuge Complex in the state.
 
Eagle Way Hall of Fame celebration set
        Eastwood’s Eagle Way Hall of Fame Celebration honoring the class of 2023 on Feb. 24, at Eastwood High School, 4900 Sugar Ridge Rd., Pemberville.
        The class of 2023 honorees include Darla Boyk, Joseph R. Hirzel, John F. Kurfess, Aaron Lawniczak and Tom and Jane Lingenfelder.
        Doors will open at 6 p.m. The presentation of inductees will be held at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be available.
        Tickets are $15 per person. Children 5 and younger will be admitted free.
        For ticket information and more details, visit eastwoodschools.org/about-our-district/alumni.
 
NHS spaghetti dinner
        The Eastwood High School National Honor Society will present an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner, Feb. 2 from 4:30-7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
        Tickets are $8 for adults 12 and up and $6 for children 5-11 p.m. The dinner incudes spaghetti, salad and dessert.
 
Gibsonburg kindergarten
        Hilfiker Elementary School in the Gibsonburg Schools District has begun to prepare for registration of the 2024-2025 kindergarten class.
        Students who will be 5 by Aug. 1 and intend to start school in the fall must be screened. Screening appointments may be made by visiting the district website, gibsonburgschools.org, beginning Feb 22.
        Kindergarten screening will be held Wednesday, March 27 and Thursday March 28 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Appointments will last approximately 45 minutes.
        Parents/guardians will need to bring the child’s official birth certificate, immunization record, proof of residency documents and custody paperwork (if applicable).
       
Kindergarten screening
        Genoa Elementary will host its annual Kindergarten Screening on April 10 and 11, with April 12 being an overflow day.
        In order to be eligible for kindergarten screening, a child must be 5 years old by Aug. 1, 2024. All kindergarten students must be screened and registered in order to begin the 2024-25 school year.
        Parents/guardians can call the elementary office to set up an appointment day and time beginning Friday, Feb. 16. There will be three appointment slots each day – 8-10 a.m.; 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. as well as 1:15-3:15 p.m. with a 12-student limit per session. Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 418-855-7741, ext. 4904 to set up an appointment.
        Parents/guardians will need to attend a meeting during their students’ screening. All information will need to be completed in Final Forms prior to screening appointments.
        Proof of residency, the child’s birth certificate and Social Security card or number, parent ID and custody documents, if applicable, are required at appointments.
        Parents/guardians will be given physical, immunization and dental forms to complete. Forms are available in advance at the school office or online at genoaschools.com, under “health services,” forms.
 
Owens CDL program expands
        Owens Community College is answering the call to boost transportation through commerce with its Commercial Driver’s License program which recently expanded to the Findlay-area Campus. Classes are also offered on the Toledo-area campus.
        Licensed instructors lead this short-term training program which requires 160 course hours – 40 in the classroom and 120 hours of hands-on training on the road. This course provides students with the skills needed to become a professional CDL Class A truck driver, according to Carla Benarth, manager of the Owens Truck Driving Program.
        In Fall 2023, Owens was awarded a total of $130,758 to help students seeking to earn a CDL. The financial aid will be provided to in-state students who complete the program and agree to live and work in Ohio for at least one year upon earning their CDL.
        This financial aid will be distributed to students as a 50% grant, and 50% loan, with the loan forgiven upon the graduate working for an Ohio transportation company within a year following their graduation from the program.           According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio ranks fourth in highest employment for truck drivers with an average pay of $52,870. Truck drivers in Northwest Ohio, the third non-metropolitan area with the highest employment in truck drivers, earn an average of $54,170 per year.
        Toledo-area Campus classes are held weekdays for four weeks. CDL classes at the Findlay-area Campus are offered on weekends over a 10-week period.
        For more information, call 567-661-2689 or visit truckdriving@owens.edu.