Ouachita Hills Academy seeks to develop well-rounded students with strong life skills. Each of our students participates in a vocational work education program that combines practical experience with theoretical training in a classroom setting. Students may be assigned to one or more of the vocational areas.
Agriculture
Most incoming young men are assigned to Agriculture. This work area especially helps students to develop good work ethic and discipline, and to learn the value of individual responsibility.
Students learn how to faithfully cultivate soil, especially for gardens and orchards. They learn about the different and unique requirements of specific plants, and how to harvest and process. Students also learn how to save seed and propagate trees and plants.
Automotive
Automotive is great opportunity to dive into the anatomy of motor vehicles. What the students work on depends on the needs of that particular year, but students have the potential to work on a variety of projects. Students learn to replace parts such as water pumps, thermostats, alternators, exhaust manifolds, brakes, tires, and much more. They also learn how to use tire changers and balancers, how to clean parts, and how to use specialized equipment. They learn how to diagnose problems and use problem solving skills in order to determine a cost effective method to repair a vehicle.
Construction
Students in construction learn basic skills in a variety of trades, which may include carpentry, electrical, plumbing, remodeling, and repair. The focus of construction is developing work ethic and character. Students will learn to use critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Food Service
Students have the opportunity to learn how to work in a fast-paced food service environment. Most incoming young women are assigned to food service. Students learn to use and modify recipes and how to operate basic kitchen appliances. They also learn methods for storing, preserving and cooking food. Kitchen safety and sanitation are emphasized as well.
Office
In the office, students are paired with a teacher or staff member as an office assistant. They may prepare documents, grade assignments, update databases or write website content.
Some students may also work with Ouachita Hills Resources in customer service. Students learn do order processing, printing, binding, and material duplication for orders. They may also help with bookkeeping, accounting, and filing.
Housekeeping
Students working in housekeeping learn to manage the cleaning schedule for our main buildings on campus. This vocational area teaches students to work efficiently and to manage their time well while learning how to thoroughly clean and sanitize different building areas.
