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MURFREESBORO – Officials from Hertford County Public Schools welcomed community partners and other supporters on Oct. 22 to celebrate the new Paxton/Patterson labs at Hertford County Middle School.

Paxton/Patterson provides College & Career Ready Labs for middle school students to explore different opportunities for their futures. Students are provided with all the resources they need to experience a variety of fields.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to connect our kids to careers,” said Hertford County Superintendent Dr. Jesse Pratt. “We know it’s important they begin experimenting and learning about careers at an early age.”

HC Middle School Principal Terrell Deloatch called it a “hands-on opportunity” for the students to consider what kinds of things they’d like to delve into in the future.

“It’s an exhilarating experience for them because many of them have never had the access to those career field choices or had the opportunity to see what’s available,” she explained. “Our students are enjoying what they’re doing.”

After an official ribbon cutting for the labs, sponsored by the Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce, visitors were able to step into the classroom and see the students at work.

The labs contain learning materials ranging from cosmetology and video editing to mechanisms and electricity and everything in between. But before they get a chance to interact with the materials, they complete the coursework on their computers, learning about safety procedures as well as the nuts and bolts of what they’ll be working on.

Once they complete that portion of the schoolwork, they’re able to start the hands-on projects, using real-world equipment. Two students, for example, were learning more about creating static electricity with simple materials. They were able to explain the science behind what they were doing as they worked.

Janee Hamilton and Helen Lassiter are the two teachers who serve as facilitators for the Paxton/Patterson labs. They keep a watchful eye over students, providing any needed assistance, and making sure they follow safety instructions.

CTE Curriculum Coordinator Kenneth Mabine said that all the middle school students will rotate through the labs at some point, giving everyone an opportunity to try things out. He added that they’d been trying to get a Paxton/Patterson lab for a few years now and he’s glad they were finally able to provide this opportunity for middle schoolers.

Hertford County Board of Education Chair Eddie Hall said after the lab tour that it was great to see the kids engaged with their work and able to explain it to the adults. They were knowledgeable about what they were doing.

Other BOE members David Shields and Wendell Hall echoed those sentiments, noting that this is just the first steps for young students figuring out how to prepare themselves for the future.

Mabine said they’re hoping to get more local companies involved in the district’s CTE program in the future to expand educational opportunities, and they hope to add more options to the Paxton/Patterson labs as well.