High School Students ‘Dare to Dream’ with CARS at UNCG
Posted on November 21, 2024
This fall, the Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Department (CARS) initiated recruitment and outreach efforts to high school students from across the state!
On October 17th, CARS hosted the North Carolina Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (NC FCCLA) Fall 2024 Leadership Meeting.
FCCLA is a nationwide Career and Technical Student Organization that was founded in 1945. The North Carolina State Association is one of 5,000 chapters across the country. The Student Organization equips middle and high school students interested in Family and Consumer Sciences with professional development and leadership opportunities. These opportunities prepare students to flourish professionally and increase college readiness.
CARS Department Head, Dr. Nancy Hodges welcomed over two hundred students from the Piedmont region to UNCG’s Elliott University Center Auditorium to engage in the opening session of the Fall Leadership Meeting. Following the opening session, students participated in competitive events and attended leadership meetings where they utilized critical thinking skills and demonstrated interpersonal communication.
Towards the end of the day, members contributed to a state-wide service project organized by the NC FCCLA State Executive Council. The service project supported a non-profit organization, Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina. Students gathered in the Kirkland meeting room and packaged boxes with items such as clothing and personal hygiene products! Moreover, students made fleece tie blankets and created sympathy cards for those displaced by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
The CARS Department would like to give special thanks to the NC FCCLA State Association for visiting UNCG’s campus. The Fall 2024 Leadership Meeting provided a fantastic opportunity for CARS to interact with prospective students and expose the UNCG campus and all it has to offer.
CARS enjoyed Fostering the Future with FCCLA and looks forward to hosting upcoming FCCLA Leadership Meetings!
Concord High School & Eastern Guilford High School Students Take on CARS at UNCG
Recruitment continued through the first week in November when students from Concord High School and Eastern Guilford High School arrived at UNCG for a tour of the CARS Department and campus!
Students started by touring the Technical Analysis Lab with Instructor Anne Wood, where they learned about the production of apparel. Specifically, students examined various machinery used in CARS to assess clothing quality and functionality. The tour of the lab was beneficial for the students, as it enabled them to understand the essential elements that affect the cost of everyday apparel.
Later, students received a hands-on presentation from Dr. Trish Kemerly and Dr. Grace Bang on the virtual prototyping Software, VStitcher. Students were shown step by step how to create a three-dimensional garment for their avatar. The presentation provided a fantastic opportunity for students to be exposed to software widely used in the fashion industry, while allowing them to demonstrate their creativity!
Once the presentation concluded, the students were taken to the design labs in the Stone building. Students were fascinated to see the industrial equipment offered in the labs. “Some of the feedback I got from students was that they loved getting to see the sewing rooms with the sewing machines and cutting tables. I heard a lot of, “Ms. Voland, the sewing machines are built into the tables! You do not have to pick them up and carry them to use them!“, said Tiffany Voland, Concord High School Apparel Teacher.
Both visits ended with students eating lunch in Fountain View Dining and visiting the bookstore so that they could get a feel for everyday life on UNCG’s campus!
“It was such an incredible experience bringing my students to tour the UNCG CARS program. Seeing them learn about the endless possibilities within the apparel industry and witnessing their excitement about future career opportunities was amazing. As a proud alum of the CARS Department, it was truly rewarding to return and share the place where I discovered my passion with my students. This visit gave them a firsthand look at what they could achieve, and I believe it opened their eyes to the value of pursuing their dreams in fashion and retail.”
Breanna Walls, Apparel and Textile Teach at Eastern Guilford High School & CARS Alum ’23
UNCG Open house and majors fair
On November 9th CARS participated in the second UNCG Open House and Majors Fair of the season.
CARS kicked off the event by interacting with prospective students and their families in the EUC Cone Ballroom. This was an opportunity for students to learn about the Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies Department curriculum and discuss potential careers following graduation.
While in the EUC, students were given the option to tour the CARS Department and attend a formal presentation from CARS Department Head, Dr. Nancy Hodges. There were eight students and their families who signed up to attend the presentation and take a tour of the CARS Department.
Dr. Nancy Hodges provided an in-depth presentation that covered pertinent information relevant to students interested in CARS. Students were also introduced to one of the CARS advisors, Cadye Murphy, and had the opportunity to ask questions about the major.
Following the presentation, students were taken on a guided tour of the department and given a first-hand look at the technology and lab spaces available that students utilize daily!
The CARS department enjoyed connecting with prospective high school students this fall and invites groups or individual students to visit the CARS Tour Request Form to schedule a visit.
