Background Information

On Skills Day, Southwestern joins with South Coast Educational Service District (SCESD) to bring in-district high school students to campus to compete in a variety of contests.  The ten high schools that participate include:  Powers, Myrtle Point, Coquille, Reedsport, North Bend, Marshfield, Bandon, Pacific, Gold Beach and Brookings. 

2011 will be our 36th year of participating in this fun day.  Skills Day was originally sponsored by SCESD and held at Southwestern.  Early contest titles varied from typing and shorthand, to the log boom run and welding.  Specific contests evolve and vary from year to year.  Today’s contests titles include:  pastel/sidewalk chalk art, photo journalism/yearbook design and video game development.  In 2000, Southwestern took on most of the details for the Day, with SCESD providing some support.  In 2003, Math Day was integrated with Skills Day in an effort to bring professional tech contestants together with academic contestants and to help reduce costs for travel and time away from the schools.  Last year we had approximately 400 students pre-registered for the day.

Registration forms are due March 30, for the March 31, 2011 contests.  High school instructors compile lists of interested students and submit them to the college.  Some contests have unlimited openings, others have only a few slots per school available.  In order to be certain that you have a space, it is advised that you register as early as possible.  However, some contests may still have openings the day of the contest and students may be able to register at the actual contest.  Some students register for several contests, and will have to choose which contest they wish to compete in first/the most, paying attention to the limited time offerings for some of the contests.   Most contests will take place from 9 am-12 pm.  Some contests have slightly different check-in arrangements; and some run longer.

The challenge exams will not be administered during skills day because they are now available on-line. Arrangements can be made by contacting Diana Schab (dschab@socc.edu).

Skills Day Stories/Photos for 50th anniversary:  SWOCC is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and this is the 36th year that Skills Day has been held here on campus.  We would love to hear from those that have participated in skills days previously!  We’d be interested to know which contest you participated in, your placing and any impact that it may have had on you.  Anyone that has had multiple generations that have participated in this event would be very nice to have also.  Tell us if you participated as a student & now teach students that participate, or lead one of the contests. Photos from past contests would be appreciated. We would then share them with others as part of the yearlong celebration.  Please email details to skillsday@socc.edu.

or mail to Barb Shreckengost, Southwestern Oregon Community College, 1988 Newmark, Coos Bay OR  97420.