Christmas came early for SPEA at WBCT holiday luncheon!

On Friday, Dec 16, students and teachers from San Pedro High School’s Earth Alert Academy (SPEA) were treated to a special day of holiday cheer and career discovery by the employees of West Basin Container Terminals/Ports America.

The group of eighteen seniors were selected to participate in this special day based on their academic and leadership achievements. This visit was hosted by Academy Advisory Board member and WBCT Terminal Manager, Paxton Bowman and  SPEA Advisory Board members including Craig Andrich, from SA Recycling, accompanied the group.

Students began the day by joining the WBCT holiday luncheon, where they enjoyed delicious BBQ with about 300 employees. The highpoint of the meal was the holiday raffle, which raised $3,500 to support the Academy. What a fantastic Christmas present for our students!

The students were then treated to a tour of the terminal where they were able to speak with different employees and learn about their jobs. The tour was led by two SPHS alumni and WBCT employees, Roberto Lo Grande and Giuseppe Napoli. At the end of the tour the group enjoyed a Q&A session with Paxton Bowman, Steven Trombley, and Kristina (Kasey) Bowden, who shared information about their career paths and their roles with the company.

Students came away from the experience filled with great food, new insights into the maritime industry…and a bag of goodies from WBCT to boot!

Thank you West Basin Container Terminals & PortsAmerica!

MATCH students find hot jobs in cold containers at Matson!

Standing in the middle of a cold refrigerated “reefer” container at the Matson terminal in Long Beach, thirty-five MATCH students learned how Christmas trees travel from California to Hawaii. This hands-on experience in the global supply chain was the culmination of a day that started  at the Safeway Vons Distribution Center, continued at Aloha Freight Forwarders, and ended with a lunchtime presentation and tour at Matson Navigation Company.

Tom Good, ITEP Board of Directors member and Director, Sales & Marketing, Southwest Region for Matson, shared with students his career journey and gave tips on being competitive in today’s workplace. Good challenged the students to make the most of their education: “it’s not what college you go to that matters, it’s what you do while you’re there” Good explained.

Students got a special treat when their school bus drove right into the hold a Matson container ship for a visit with Captain Bloomingdale. Excitement was in the air, with MATCH junior Dion asking what it took to be a Captain. “You have to be 6’8” or taller…” joked Bloomingdale, who happens to be 6’10.” Students then drove through towers of containers and over to the reefer cleaning stations where they learned about cold storage and the logistics of travel to Hawaii.

The Vons/Matson tour is becoming a revered tradition for the MATCH Academy. Students walk away with an increased awareness of themselves and the world around them. Thank you to Mike Pantaleon MATCH Advisory Board member for setting up the tour, Tom Good of Matson for inspiring the students, and MATCH Advisory Board members Shirley Knull (formerly of PCC Logistics), and Kaj Palsson of International Cargo Equipment Inc. for chaperoning.

Viva Vons and Mahalo Matson!

GBAC students sail through Ports 101!

In Carson, Global Business Academy (GBAC) students are familiar with trucks, warehouses, and containers.  But on November 17, 100 GBAC students traveled south down the Harbor Freeway to see first hand the start of the supply chain: the Port of Los Angeles.

Cecilia Moreno, Port of Los Angeles Community Affairs Advocate, provided the students with a Port 101 briefing that helped them understand the powerful economic engine that drives our economy. Moreno’s presentation ended with a visit from the City of Carson Mayor Dear who gave a few inspirational words: “be proactive, don’t be observers, be participants of life.”

Following the briefing at Ports O’ Call, the group was treated to a tour of the Harbor courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles’ Education Program. The students watched as ships were loaded and unloaded with retail goods that eventually makes its way to the malls where students love to shop. Students watched colossal cranes at work and laughed at sea lions sunbathing on Maersk’s Damietta container ship. On hand were GBAC Advisory Board members Jennifer Johnson of Watson Land Company, Cameron Smith from Yusen Logistics, and Barry Waite, City of Carson who helped explain the dynamic connection between the ports and the goods that travel through them.

Thank you to GBAC Advisory Board member Connie Rivera from Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) for setting up the tour and Cecelia Moreno for presenting. GBAC students left with a heightened sense of their surroundings and the global supply chain right in their own backyard.

Check out what three students had to say! Watch the video!

Pilots, Pirates, Aztecs AND Colts invade Terminal Island for a day of career discovery

On National Pearl Harbor Day, more than 265 ITEP Academy students from Banning, San Pedro, Carson and Barstow High School arrived at the US Coast Guard base on Terminal Island for a day of exploration and excitement in discovering the almost unlimited career opportunities within the United States Coast Guard. For some students, this was their first time seeing the Pacific Ocean.

After a few words from USCG Commander Andrew Clyburn, students rotated through five stations: Marine Safety and Security, Team K-9 Unit, CGC George Cobb, Base Support Unit Clinic San Pedro, Small Boat Station LA – LB, and the Coast Guard Recruiting Office LA. Students explored the CGC George Cobb, learned about scuba safety gear, watched as working dog Ryder and his handler did an explosives search demonstration, and competed in a push-up contest won by GBAC Lead Teacher Ms. Pettus-Alexander.

ITEP is very grateful for the close partnership it enjoys with the Coast Guard and appreciates the willingness of officers and enlisted personnel to participate in academy advisory boards, on-campus presentations, and student coaching. Most of our students would not realize the opportunities available in their own backyards if not for the determination of the Coast Guard to present awe-inspiring tours like you do. Special thanks to Lieutenant Arthur Loughran, Captain Roger Laferriere, and Commander Andrew Clyburn. Thank you Coasties!

For more photos check out our photo album!