Richard Mayfield, State Director for USDA Rural Development in New York, recently visited the Ormsby Educational Center in East Aurora to see firsthand how a USDA-funded investment is expanding career training opportunities for students at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.
The visit highlighted new simulation equipment and distance learning systems purchased through a $1.09 million USDA Rural Utilities Service Distance Learning and Telemedicine (RUS DLT) grant. The investment provided six E2CCB Career & Technical Education (CTE) and P-TECH centers with industry-grade equipment that gives students hands-on training experiences and connects classrooms across the region.
Mayfield observed several of the systems now being used in classrooms, including heavy equipment operation, nursing, welding, logistics, and law enforcement simulators, as well as high-definition video conferencing systems that connect learning centers throughout E2CCB’s service area.
Joining Mayfield for the tour from E2CCB were John Griesmer, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction; Maureen Donahue, Interim Director of CTE, P-TECH, and Program Innovation; Ormsby Principal Laura Sokol-Scott; Bryan Olson, Distance Learning Coordinator; Meredith Kenyon, Grant Coordinator; Elizabeth Huson, Distance Learning Specialist; and Ray Goulet, Criminal Justice instructor at Ormsby.
“This project is helping transform career and technical education by giving students access to the same types of technology they’ll encounter in today’s workforce,” Olson said. “The ability to connect classrooms while providing hands-on simulation experiences is creating new opportunities for teaching and learning across our region.”
At Ormsby, the investment supports several programs through specialized simulation equipment, including a Tenstar construction vehicle simulator for Conservation/Natural Resource Management, VR Sim VRNA virtual reality nursing clinical skill trainer for Health Careers, a VR SimSpray Simulator for Automotive Body Repair, and an Omnisim law enforcement and commercial driver’s license (CDL) driving simulator for Criminal Justice.
Across E2CCB’s regional centers, the USDA-funded project added new training equipment supporting welding, heavy equipment operation, nursing, law enforcement, CDL instruction, spray-painting, and supply chain and logistics programs.
Equipment was deployed based on each center’s instructional needs:
- Carrier Educational Center (Angola) — Expanded distance learning capabilities with mobile video conferencing carts, overhead 4K cameras, and wearable action cameras to support remote instruction.
- Hewes Educational Center (Ashville) — Added heavy equipment, augmented reality welding, nursing, and law enforcement/CDL simulation equipment, along with wearable camera packages, overhead 4K cameras, and mobile distance learning systems.
- LoGuidice Educational Center (Fredonia) — Served as the project hub and received augmented reality welding, virtual reality spray-painting, nursing, and law enforcement/CDL simulation equipment, along with mobile distance learning systems, overhead 4K cameras, and wearable streaming equipment.
- Ormsby Educational Center (East Aurora) — Added heavy equipment, augmented reality welding, virtual reality spray-painting, nursing, and law enforcement/CDL simulation equipment, overhead 4K cameras, along with mobile distance learning systems.
- CAM P-TECH (Springville) — Received an Amatrol Skill Boss Logistics Conveyor Training Station and mobile distance learning technology to support supply chain and logistics instruction.
- WNY P-TECH (Dunkirk) — Added an optical welding camera system capable of capturing demonstrations through welding glare and dedicated video conferencing equipment to enhance instruction.
To further connect classrooms across the region, E2CCB installed 12 mobile video conferencing systems equipped with 65-inch 4K displays, all-in-one camera soundbars, Zoom-enabled computers, and wearable action cameras. The systems allow instructors to share demonstrations, field experiences, and specialized instruction between centers.
The completed project serves approximately 1,559 CTE and P-TECH students while also supporting workforce development opportunities through E2CCB’s Adult Education programs. It builds on E2CCB’s longstanding partnership with USDA Rural Development, following previous RUS DLT grant awards in 2016 and 2023.
The project was coordinated by the E2CCB Distance Learning team, including Olson, Huson, and Lexi Mason, Audio/Visual Engineer. The team oversaw procurement, installation, and staff training throughout the 2025-26 school year.
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES serves 27 component school districts and more than 31,000 students throughout Western New York by providing career and technical education, adult learning, instructional support, and shared educational services.
