By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

Batavia Local School District board members established a craft club and a technology at the high school club during their Oct. 21 meeting.

Both clubs will offer opportunities for students to be involved with their classmates as well as learn new skills.

Camey Eberhard, assistant principal at Batavia High School, said the technology club will be part of INTERalliance, an organization created to bring educators, IT industry professionals, and students together.

“Since we don’t have a tech class we thought we’d have a tech club and that club would be part of INTERalliance,” Eberhard said.

Mandy Caudill, a former Batavia student who was involved with INTERalliance, talked with board members about her experience with the organization.

“I am really glad to see Batavia is thinking about doing this,” Caudill said.

Caudill said being involved with the organization and participating in a variety of IT events have lead her to many career opportunities.

Caudill said she has had an opportunity to meet people from Proctor and Gamble, General Electric and more.

Through the connections she made, Caudill said she was able to secure an internship at an IT company. She said she has enjoyed her internship and the work she is doing.

“Hopefully, once I graduate I will be able to work there full time,” Caudill said.

Several other schools have clubs that are members of the alliance including Loveland Senior High School and Milford High School.

Funds to start the club at the high school were donated to the district by INTERalliance executive director Jim Scott.

Board members also approved a recommendation to establish a craft club at the school.

Eberhard said the craft club is being funded by a $500 grant that Kristen Baumgartner, a ninth grade intervention specialist, received.

“She was doing her masters program through Xavier and in one of their classes they had to write a grant,” Eberhard said.

Eberhard said the club, called Make a Difference Club, has gotten a great response already.

She said students in the club will be making specific crafts to donate to different organizations.