HERO program receives NYSSBA Champions of Change award
The Herkimer BOCES Heavy Equipment Repair Operations program received a New York State School Boards Association Champions of Change award during the Herkimer BOCES Board of Education reorganization meeting on Thursday, July 11, in the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
Herkimer BOCES Board of Education member and NYSSBA Area 5 Director William Miller presented the banner for the award to Heavy Equipment Repair Operations instructors Rick Reid and Jeffrey Weeks, Principal of Technical Education Sheri Perry and Director of School Services and Outreach Zane Mahar.
The instructors said they were surprised about winning the award but explained they have expanded the program both in terms of the number of students and what the students are learning. In June, 20 students graduated from the program, which goes by HERO for short. In the 2024-25 school year, there will be 30 seniors and 37 juniors in the program.
“Most of them will go right into well-paying jobs,” Reid said. “Some will go to college, but more will go into the workforce.”
The NYSSBA presentation kicked off the annual Herkimer BOCES Board of Education reorganization meeting, which also included swearing-in ceremonies for the board president, vice president and re-elected board members.
During the NYSSBA presentation prior to the swearing-in ceremonies, Miller spoke about how NYSSBA representatives take note of programs they hear about that are different than anything else they’ve seen and bring their recommendations to NYSSBA.
“They suggest the ones they think are really deserving of this type of award,” Miller said.
Miller said the HERO program stands out for reasons such as that it helps students go right into the workforce or get a head start on college or additional training.
NYSSBA officials were impressed, Miller said.
“They were just amazed by the program itself,” he said.
The award banner that the HERO program received can be beneficial as well when put on display in the classroom for visitors to see, Miller said.
“That gives that program a little boost, and when they see that, they’ll think this might be a pretty good program,” he said.
After receiving the award, Reid and Weeks reflected on their reactions when they first heard about winning it.
“I was kind of shocked. I didn’t expect it,” Reid said. “We have made a lot of changes though such as adding repair work.”
In addition to learning how to operate heavy machinery, HERO students now also learn more about repairing diesel engines, how to do diagnostics and more, the teachers said.
Weeks agreed that despite the instructors’ efforts to enhance the program, it still came as a surprise to be honored by the state.
“I was shocked,” Weeks said. “We just show up and do our jobs, and that’s just what it is.”
