Career pathway pays off

Students in building trades fix cafeteria pipe

Jean Mikle

Asbury Park Press USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

TOMS RIVER – Students in a Toms River High School South technical education academy leaped into action last week when a burst pipe led to water flowing into the school’s cafeteria.

It marked the second time that kids enrolled in Project SPEAR-IT (Pre-Vocational Educational Alternatives Resource Institute) have repaired broken pipes during a deep freeze. They did it in January 2025, fixing another pipe at the high school.

This time around, it was in the cafeteria, where a burst pipe led to a significant amount of water, according to Assistant Principal Christopher Peck.

As custodians hustled to clean and dry all the water, students from the SPEAR program went to work.

Under the watchful eye of instructor Timothy O’Leary, students on Feb. 13 cut the damaged pipe section, sized and fitted a replacement section, then used a plumbing crimper to put it all together without soldering.

The construction and trades course, now in its seventh year since being implemented thanks to a grant and continued support from the United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, has specialized in applying skills for practical projects that benefit the school and community.

SPEAR-IT was born from a United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties Youth Career Pathways grant, and the program has gained steam over the years, even through a pandemic that halted the in-person, hands-on training on which the program largely relies, according to Toms River schools.

It began as a pre-apprenticeship program that teaches the building trades – electrical work, cutting, measuring, hand tools, design and much more – to freshmen and sophomores.

Lead teacher Timothy O’Leary allowed his students a say in their work, and they responded with ideas that largely benefited their school and community, such as refurbishing the school’s softball field benches,

creating customized corn hole boards for staff and peers and, last year, building lifeguard stands for Ortley Beach.

The program recently expanded to High School North, assisted by a $100,000 grant from the United Way.

The program now has three official courses at South – SPEAR 1, 2 and 3, open to grades 9 through 12 – and those enrolled are encouraged to pursue a pathway to Ocean County Vocational and Technical School.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River, Seaside Heights and several other Ocean County towns. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com .