NATCO employee Misty Ring is showing students some of what is required in her job as a Customer Service Rep.

Flippin - Fourteen ninth grade students from Marion County schools recently had the opportunity to learn about the telecommunications industry at NATCO. The event, held March 4th, was "Tech Day" for the students on this year's South Shore - Marion County Youth Leadership Team. The students and advisors attending were from Yellville-Summit, Flippin and Ozark Mountain School District (Bruno-Pyatt).

Members of the team had sessions with NATCO Plant Manager Steven Sanders Jr., discussing how a Telco business functions by departments. Each department then had interactive activities for students to participate in which ranged from Engineering, where students experimented drawing in the CADTEL system and used GPS units to plot facilities, to the Outside Plant, where students spliced fiber optic cable and demonstrated the various tools used in installs and trouble-shooting. Other displays included NATCO representatives working with students on activities in Accounting, Customer Service and Dispatch duties. In addition, students took a tour of the Flippin office and Central Office, where the students’ questions were answered by employees.

Students also participated in a contest which involved creating group skits based on the benefits of a landline phone. The students were divided into four groups, and the members of the team with the winning skit received iTunes cards for prizes. An additional drawing was held among the winning team members for an iPod Nano.

Breakfast and lunch were provided for the group by NATCO and El Chico Restaurant of Mountain Home. Student and teacher feedback was very positive for the day’s events; the students had a good time and felt like they learned something from the experience.

"Tech Day" is the eighth of nine monthly activities for this group of students in leadership training. They also complete sessions about state and local government by meeting with elected officials and traveling to the State Capitol.

The South Shore - Marion County Youth Leadership Development Program is designed to identify and strengthen leadership skills in youth and to build their self-confidence as they learn to serve their schools and communities. It was founded on the premise that the youth of today will serve as the leaders of tomorrow. To ensure the future growth of Marion County, youth must be prepared to assume leadership positions.

Any eighth-grade student desiring to be on next school year's South-Shore Marion County Youth Leadership Team may obtain an application from their school counselor, the Marion County Extension Office (870) 449-6349, or online at the South Shore Foundation Web site at www.southshore.com/mcyjoin.htm