by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jun 9, 2025 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Seniors in the Carpentry program at Connellsville Area Career & Technical Center (CACTC) were recognized on May 8 in a ceremony lead by Nick Farris, the Carpentry instructor. Farris introduced each student, shared their plans for after graduation, and gave insight to their personality and work ethic. After their bio, each student received a tool bag filled with equipment and a boxed circular saw. The Carpentry program was also presented with a grant award from the Sturge Hughes Memorial Fund.
The Sturge Hughes Memorial Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC), has awarded a grant to CACTC for nine years in a row to help build up the trade programs. The fund was created by Regina Hughes in honor of her late husband, Sturge, to continue his legacy in the community and in the carpentry industry. Previous grants have also supported the Masonry program at CACTC.
Jerry Matthews, retired CACTC Carpentry instructor, recalls Regina sitting down with him and asking “how can I help?” Her generosity has provided support for field trips, projects, tools, and other needs of the program.
Regina’s son, Jeff Butela, and grandson, Ryan Butela, spoke to the seniors about their careers as home builders — both in management and hands-on construction. They emphasized the value of trade skills, whether the students would pursue it as their primary career or keep it as another tool in their toolbox for the future (pun intended).
The Sturge Hughes Memorial Fund is a meaningful way for the family to honor Sturge and his dedication to helping young people learn, start a career, and grow in the carpentry field. Regina shares that same passion for mentoring the younger generation, which she applied during her career at a utility company and continues to do through her charitable giving.
Photo courtesy of CACTC: Ryan Butela, Nick Farris, Rebecca Wardle, Jeff Butela
“These Carpentry students are learning workforce-ready skills. Their projects building sheds, picnic tables, and benches are able to go straight out into the community, and the foundation is happy to facilitate support for that,” said Renee M. Couser, CFFC Executive Director.
CACTC provides thirteen (13) technical programs and academic courses. Part of the Connellsville Area School District, 9th and 10th graders can attend technical programs during morning or afternoon sessions, while 11th and 12th grade students can attend full-time. This year, there were eleven (11) seniors in the Carpentry program.
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jul 1, 2022 | Building a Stronger Fayette
“The number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania has decreased by 50% in the last ten years,” said Dr. Shawna Little, Workforce Development Coordinator at Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC). CACTC hosted a five-day, hands-on Junior Firefighter Boot Camp to encourage young people to get involved in serving their communities as volunteer firefighters. The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) supported the boot camp with a grant from the Building a Stronger Fayette Fund.
Experienced fire service instructors lead 23 Fayette County students, middle school and high school aged, in the boot camp. Certified EMS personnel were also on scene to ensure everyone’s safety.
Students learned about the main facets of firefighter training throughout the five days, including engine work, ladder work, fire science, and vehicle rescue. Students experienced wearing full gear, connecting a hydrant and hose, forcing doors and vehicles open with tools, and more. On the last day, the students went to New Haven Hose Fire Company and worked in teams to respond to a fire simulation in a vacant house, putting their new skills to the test in a safe environment.
“The students came together and were focused and engaged in every skill we taught them, and in doing so, they learned self-confidence and teamwork…. All of the students were asking if we were going to host the boot camp again next year, which is a testament to how much they enjoyed their experience and gained from it,” said Dr. Little.
Ronald Barry is a Protective Services Instructor at CACTC and Chief of the South Brownsville Fire Company. He believes that supporting this boot camp “to ignite the spark in these young men and women will save lives and property well into the future.” CACTC’s first-ever Junior Firefighter Boot Camp was a success, providing hands-on training and education about the crucial services of local firefighters, which follows CFFC’s grantmaking theme of “building a stronger Fayette“.
Photos submitted by CACTC
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Jun 13, 2022 | CFFC News, Grants
The Sturge Hughes Memorial Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Fayette County, granted $2,000 to Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC) for their masonry and carpentry programs. Regina Hughes created the fund to honor the memory of her husband and to support local students pursuing the trades. Graduating seniors from CACTC’s masonry and carpentry programs were recognized at a memorial luncheon in May.
Jeff Butela, Jerry Matthews, Renee Couser, Jeff Puskar, and Ryan Butela
graduating seniors from CACTC’s masonry and carpentry programs
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 16, 2019 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC) opened the Career Café, a student-run store that sells food items, clothing, and supplies in May 2019. Following CACTC’s mission and vision to prepare every student with academic, technical, and career skills needed to enter the workforce and to pursue continuing education, the Career Café provides unique opportunities to build skills.
The CFFC awarded CACTC a Fall 2018 grant for the Career Café, which is operated by the Building and Trades Program students under the supervision of their teacher, Mr. Bill Guess. The goal is to help improve secondary transition opportunities that will prepare students for life after high school, including post-secondary education or training, employment, and community living.
Dr. Shawna Little, Workforce Development Coordinator, noted the importance of soft skills in the workforce, such as customer service, communication, and conflict resolution. The Career Café provides students with real-world work experience in the popular, and in-demand, industry of retail. Particularly for students with disabilities, these opportunities help develop transferable skills that target goals set in their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
Before the Career Café opened for business, there were ten students who put their vocational skills to work by organizing the space. They built the counter area and helped transform the classroom, which was brought to life with the Appalachian Creativity Center’s full-room mural. “The students worked as a team, communicated and collaborated effectively, and created a finished project from scratch,” said Dr. Little. To learn more about CACTC, visit their website!