PIQUA — The Ohio School Board Association added four local businesses to the 2016 Honor Roll for their support of Upper Valley Career Center.

Greene Street Preschool and Daycare, in Piqua; RT Industries, in Troy; Shelby County Soil and Water, in Sidney; and Wayne Trail, in Fort Loramie, were nominated by the Career Center for their long-term contributions to student learning. Dr. Nancy Luce, Upper Valley Career Center superintendent, announced the honors at the May board of education meeting.

Green Street Preschool and Daycare and Wayne Trail have hired students through either the pre-apprenticeship or early placement programs or both.

“These employers are advancing our students’ careers and enriching their education with invaluable, real-world, on-the-job experience,” Luce said.

RT Industries of Miami County partners with the Career Center to deliver career and technical (CT) education for students with identified disabilities through the Discovery Program. RT Industries provides job coaches who work with specific students throughout their lab rotations. Each job coach provides professional input based on observation which helps Career Center staff identify each student’s strength and interests. Since the two organizations began the partnership in 2012, many Discovery students have successfully transitioned to a CT program, Project Search or both.

Shelby County Soil and Water supports the efforts of the Environmental Occupations program and Horticulture and Landscape Management. Agency staff members are frequently on campus and at Willowbrook, sharing their expertise through classroom instruction and field work.

Luce said, “The OSBA Honor Roll designation affirms our high regard and appreciation for the generosity of these business partners.”