On Thursday, October 19th, Madison-Oneida BOCES had the privilege of hosting its 2023 Fall Open House. Over 700 people including students, staff members, prospective students, families and community members came together on the Verona campus to get an inside perspective on what MOBOCES can offer to students, families, and the community.

Immersion into the MOBOCES experience began the moment guests arrived on campus with one of our long-running Open House traditions. Students from the Criminal Justice program put their traffic control skills to use as the event’s parking attendants.

The evening got underway with the start of the Tilden Hill Triplexus K-12 Open House festivities. The students were noticeably excited to show their families what they have been working on over the last six weeks.

Staff, students, and families had a great time building a stronger rapport over a delicious pizza dinner, with specially-crafted LEGO cookies for dessert. The cookies were made to symbolize building a stronger school community. There was also a festive “Trick or Treat Trail” to encourage students and families to learn more about the other program offerings throughout the building.

Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the brand new MOBOCES Connected Community Schools Hub. The Hub provides an informal gathering place on campus and opens doors to a wide variety of essential goods and services for anyone in the campus community with a need.

Some very friendly ambassadors were present to greet attendees at the Rossetti Education Center, where the Career and Technical Education classes are housed. The brand new Large Animal and Agriculture class had its new pig on hand outside one of the entrances, and our CTE Student Ambassadors and Criminal Justice students were also waiting to lend a hand. 

As with a typical school day, the building was brimming with Career and Technical Education students eager to demonstrate their skills. They were even more excited to share their passion for their chosen field with friends, family, staff and prospective students.

Among the highlights, the Heavy Equipment Operation students performed a timed backhoe challenge in front of an enthusiastic audience. Cosmetology students were performing basic spa treatments such as manicures and a luxurious paraffin wax hand bath. Manufacturing Technology had a robotic arm and 3D printer on display. Vocational Technology Preparation had the snack shack open for business in one of the only instances where it is open to the general public each year. In Equine and Animal Science, Cash the Horse was certainly the life of the party.

The Rossetti Courtyard has become an increasingly popular destination on Open House nights. Several CTE programs have recently shifted to an employer-embedded or district-embedded model. For some of these programs, the Courtyard becomes their on-campus location to offer a closer look into how their programs operate.

Among the programs on exhibit were Sports Management and Entertainment Marketing, Exercise Science, and Early Childhood Education. The MVCC PROPEL program also operated an exhibit to showcase opportunities to receive a year’s worth of local industry-focused college credits, free of charge.