Carbon High School (CHS) is participating in the Hospitality and Tourism CTE Program. This course was created through the combined efforts of the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA) and the Utah Board of Education. It will teach high school students the basics of the industry while preparing them for future employment opportunities.
Through the program, the students will learn about different sectors, such as the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism, accommodations and hotel operations, food and beverage, and much more.
A perk of the course is that four guest speakers from the industry will be invited to speak about their experience. Last week, Mandi Bryner invited Carbon County Tourism Specialist Tina Grange to her classroom to speak with her students regarding all things tourism.
Grange spoke with the students on goals of tourism, how the money operates when it comes into the communities, and opportunities that come from tourism and economic development. The students learned that the Carbon Corridor brand serves Carbon County’s vision of economically sustainable and integrated tourism. The brand draws from the region’s rich history, beautiful landscape, and multifarious attractions and activities.
Grange explained to the students the process of shifting the focus from Castle Country to the Carbon Corridor and how a visit from Roger Brooks to secretly shop the community played a large role in that. Grange also spoke with the students on the myriad of outdoor opportunities presented in our own backyards.
She reminded the students that the visitor’s center has been relocated once more to the Prehistoric Museum and that it is available to provide resources to those traveling to the area. The Carbon Corridor works to provide a basecamp to adventure in Southeast Utah for residents and visitors alike.
Grange also spoke on how tourism is a great asset to any community. It was described as a healthy and integral part of a sustainable economy, which brings revenue to the county without compromising quality of life for its residents.
The students then learned about the Carbon County Tourism Tax Advisory Board, including who serves on the board how it operates. Grange taught about the Transient Room Tax (TRT) and what percentage of that funding goes to which part of the community. At the end of the lesson, the students had each prepared questions for Grange, who also provided water bottles and frisbees.
Cicily Kind, Program Manager for the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA), stated that the UTIA has created a comprehensive tourism and hospitality course that is offered through the Utah School Board of Education to teach high school students the basics of the industry.
“This course includes over a dozen lesson plans for teachers covering the basics of the tourism and hospitality industry, and provides real-world learning opportunities through in-class industry guest speakers, student attendance at the annual Utah Tourism Conference, a nationally-accredited certification course, and more,” said Kind.
She continued, explaining that this course has been taught to hundreds of students throughout Utah’s high schools in recent years. Now, UTIA is thrilled to be working with Ms. Shih and Ms. Bryner at Carbon High School. This is a program that is provided for free for the public high schools in Utah, as the costs are covered under a grant.
Mrs. Bryner explained that upon discovering that an assignment for her students to “sell” the corridor to her was a huge struggle for them, she knew that she wanted some assistance in teaching the students about wonders such as Goblin Valley, floating Helper River and the like.
“At that time, I reached out to Tina to scheduled a time to have her come speak with my class about what we have to offer locally for them to see and do,” Bryner explained. “In our conversation, Tina asked if I knew about the tourism and hospitality course created through The Utah Tourism Industry Association through the Utah Board of Education. I am excited we are able to offer this opportunity locally to our students.”
