Ohio Cooperative Education Association

Submitted by: Jill Collet

It is already May!  For many this means graduation and the start of summer, for the Ohio Cooperative Education Association (OCEA), it means Annual Conference Season. Ohio has a robust state organization which hosts an annual spring conference and drive in workshops throughout the year.  These events are a great opportunity to network with co-op and internship professionals across the state.

This year’s conference was held during the last week of April at the Blackwell Inn on the campus of The Ohio State University.  Along with ample opportunities for networking, highlighted the State’s vision for building a competitive workforce, social networking as an educational tool, a round-table discussion, and panel discussions.

One of the true highlights of the event, for me, was the Ohio Coolest Co-ops Contest.  This is the second year OCEA has hosted this contest, and this year, we received full sponsorship from Honda of America Manufacturing and Danis Building Construction.

The contest is hosted online and eligible students from across the state are encourage to enter.  Entries consist of a 100-300 word essay and photos explaining what makes their co-op or internship experience ‘cool.’ Students enter in one of three categories:  Cool People, Perks, or Projects. Voting is then conducted through a public website. This year, we received 49 entries from 11 institutions across the state, and nearly 7000 votes were cast!

2009-2010 OCEA Coolest Co-op Winners:  (L-R) Julianna Barton, Bowling Green State University (BGSU Office of Design & Construction); Rebecca Nesbitt, University of Cincinnati (Procter & Gamble Germany); Emily Babel, The College of Mt. St. Joseph (Ideopia)
Seeing the entries displayed throughout the conference is a rewarding reminder of the true value the students see in their experiences. Also, speaking with gracious employers of the winners makes it evident that they, just as much as we educators, see the educational value of these experiences for our students.

Does your state have an association for co-op and intern professionals? These organizations can provide development and networking opportunities for professionals and students close to home and specific to the interests of your state. Check out the State Chapters page of the MCEIA Website to see the news for your state.