Instructional development alternatives in Lawton, Oklahoma, are enhanced by assets that join people with related studying pathways. These assets present a method for residents to find and entry coaching applications, educational establishments, and talent growth initiatives particular to the local people. These pathways help workforce growth, private enrichment, and educational pursuits for people residing in that space of Oklahoma.
The significance of those academic help programs lies of their potential to bolster the native financial system, improve the standard of life for residents, and supply a basis for future development. By providing simply accessible data and assets, these programs assist bridge the hole between people searching for training and the establishments that may present it. Traditionally, communities with robust academic infrastructures have demonstrated elevated financial stability and the next stage of civic engagement.
The next sections will delve into the precise applications and providers provided, the establishments that contribute to the tutorial panorama, and the general impression on the neighborhood’s growth and future prospects.
1. Group faculties
Group faculties function very important cornerstones inside Lawton, Oklahoma’s academic ecosystem. They’re usually the primary level of entry for a lot of residents searching for to boost their abilities or embark on new profession paths. Their accessible nature and numerous vary of applications make them a key part of the native academic framework.
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Accessibility and Affordability
Group faculties in Lawton present accessible and inexpensive academic alternatives for a variety of people. They provide decrease tuition charges in comparison with four-year universities, decreasing monetary boundaries and enabling extra residents to pursue increased training. This accessibility is essential in fostering a extra expert and educated workforce, straight contributing to the native financial system.
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Workforce Improvement Applications
Many neighborhood faculties within the space emphasize vocational and technical coaching applications tailor-made to fulfill the wants of native industries. These applications present college students with the sensible abilities and information required for particular jobs, serving to to bridge the hole between training and employment. Examples embrace applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and knowledge know-how, all of that are in excessive demand within the Lawton area.
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Switch Pathways to 4-Yr Universities
Group faculties function stepping stones for college kids who want to pursue a bachelor’s diploma at a four-year college. They provide transferable programs that enable college students to finish their basic training necessities at a decrease price earlier than transferring to a college like Cameron College. This pathway gives a extra inexpensive and versatile path to a bachelor’s diploma, increasing entry to increased training for a lot of college students.
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Group Engagement and Assist
These academic establishments actively have interaction with the local people by providing workshops, seminars, and persevering with training programs for adults. Additionally they present help providers corresponding to profession counseling, tutoring, and job placement help, guaranteeing that college students have the assets they should succeed. This community-centered strategy fosters a way of belonging and encourages lifelong studying.
In essence, Lawton’s neighborhood faculties act as essential nodes within the community of academic assets, serving to to drive financial development and enhance the standard of life for residents. Their accessibility, workforce growth applications, switch pathways, and neighborhood engagement efforts collectively strengthen the tutorial engine that propels Lawton ahead.
2. Vocational Coaching
In Lawton, Oklahoma, vocational coaching acts as an important piston throughout the native “training engine.” The engine itself, a metaphorical assemble, represents the sum of all academic alternatives out there to residents. Vocational coaching, then, gives specialised abilities essential for instant employment, straight fueling the engine’s potential to drive financial development and particular person prosperity. With out sturdy vocational applications, the engine sputters, missing the sensible abilities wanted to fulfill the calls for of native industries.
Take into account the Lawton welding trade. Demand for expert welders constantly outstrips provide. A vocational program targeted on welding gives Lawton residents with a direct pathway to those jobs. Graduates possess the certifications and sensible expertise sought by native employers, permitting them to contribute instantly to the workforce. This, in flip, strengthens the native financial system, attracting new companies and supporting present ones. The presence of this vocational program gives tangible advantages, enhancing the general prosperity of the neighborhood. Related situations play out in areas corresponding to healthcare, automotive restore, and culinary arts, the place vocational coaching gives essential abilities resulting in instant employment alternatives. These applications handle particular trade wants and supply focused coaching, leading to a workforce that’s each expert and readily employable.
In the end, vocational coaching gives the sensible utility essential to make Lawton’s “training engine” a robust power. By straight addressing the talents gaps within the native workforce, vocational applications make sure the engine continues to run easily. The long-term results embrace a extra affluent neighborhood, elevated particular person alternatives, and a stronger, extra resilient native financial system. Understanding the intimate connection between vocational coaching and the broader academic panorama gives a framework for strategic funding and growth in Lawton, Oklahoma.
3. Grownup training
The “training engine” of Lawton, Oklahoma, depends on extra than simply the education of its youth. An oft-overlooked, but very important, part is grownup training. Image this engine as a fancy machine with numerous interconnected components. The normal college system varieties a big gear, driving a lot of the preliminary momentum. However grownup training acts because the self-correcting mechanism, the fine-tuning that ensures the engine runs effectively and successfully, even when confronted with altering situations and evolving wants. With out this component, all the system dangers changing into outdated and unable to fulfill the calls for of a dynamic world.
Take into account Maria, a Lawton resident who spent years working in a producing plant earlier than the corporate downsized and her place was eradicated. Instantly confronted with the necessity to retool her abilities, she turned to a neighborhood grownup training program. There, she discovered laptop abilities and gained certification in workplace administration. This program not solely offered her with a lifeline again into the workforce but in addition geared up her with abilities straight relevant to out there jobs in Lawton. Maria’s story shouldn’t be distinctive. Many adults in Lawton face related challenges, whether or not its adapting to new applied sciences, searching for profession development, or just pursuing private enrichment. Grownup teaching programs present a bridge, enabling them to accumulate the information and abilities essential to navigate these transitions efficiently.
The sensible significance of understanding this relationship is important. A strong grownup training system straight interprets to a extra adaptable, expert, and aggressive workforce. It empowers people to pursue better-paying jobs, contributing to the general financial prosperity of the neighborhood. Nevertheless, challenges stay. Funding limitations, a ignorance about out there applications, and difficulties balancing work and household obligations can hinder participation. Addressing these challenges is essential to maximizing the potential of Lawton’s “training engine.” By investing in and selling grownup training, Lawton can be certain that its total inhabitants has the chance to thrive in an ever-changing world, strengthening the neighborhood’s resilience and prosperity for generations to come back.
4. Workforce Readiness
Inside Lawton, Oklahoma, workforce readiness operates as a essential measure of the “training engine’s” effectiveness. This engine, the aggregation of academic assets and alternatives, finds its final validation within the preparedness of people to contribute meaningfully to the native financial system. The story of Lawton’s growth is intimately intertwined with its potential to domesticate a talented and adaptable workforce.
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Alignment with Native Industries
The effectiveness of Lawton’s training hinges on its potential to align curricula with the wants of native industries. If the training engine churns out graduates missing the precise abilities demanded by Lawton companies, the engine, though energetic, fails to translate into workforce readiness. For example, Nice Plains Know-how Middle providing applications straight tied to native manufacturing wants. This focused strategy ensures graduates possess priceless, instantly relevant abilities, enhancing their employability and strengthening the native financial system.
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Delicate Expertise Improvement
Past technical experience, workforce readiness encompasses the cultivation of sentimental abilities. Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills are essential for fulfillment in any occupation. If the tutorial assets in Lawton neglects these important abilities, will probably be tough for graduates to efficiently go to work and even be able to work for a corporation.. A neighborhood initiative might present workshops and mentorship applications targeted on these competencies, creating well-rounded people able to excel in a collaborative work setting. These abilities guarantee adaptability and success in numerous work environments.
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Bridging the Expertise Hole
A persistent problem is the talents hole – the distinction between abilities employers search and people possessed by job seekers. A disconnect between abilities taught within the classroom and the realities of the fashionable office can create boundaries to employment. Subsequently, The Lawton training engine should actively work to determine and handle this hole. Partnerships between native companies and academic establishments are important for curriculum relevance. These partnerships be certain that coaching applications align with present trade wants and supply college students with real-world expertise. In flip, it’s going to cut back the talents hole, it’s going to enhance workforce readiness and strengthens the native financial system.
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Lifelong Studying Alternatives
Workforce readiness shouldn’t be a static state; it requires steady adaptation and studying. The Lawton’s academic assets should present entry to ongoing coaching and growth alternatives for people all through their careers. This contains grownup teaching programs, on-line programs, {and professional} certifications. By facilitating lifelong studying, Lawton can domesticate a workforce that is still aggressive and adaptable to evolving trade calls for.
The success of Lawton’s “training engine” hinges on its potential to foster workforce readiness. This entails aligning curricula with native trade wants, cultivating comfortable abilities, bridging the talents hole, and offering lifelong studying alternatives. By prioritizing these sides, Lawton can empower its residents to thrive within the workforce, strengthening the native financial system and guaranteeing a affluent future.
5. On-line assets
The fashionable iteration of Lawton’s “training engine” can’t be precisely described with out acknowledging the pivotal function of on-line assets. As soon as, the engine relied totally on brick-and-mortar establishments, limiting entry primarily based on geography, schedule, and bodily capability. The arrival of the web launched a parallel, digital system, drastically amplifying the engine’s attain and effectivity. This transformation shouldn’t be merely additive; it basically alters the dynamics of training within the area.
Take into account the Lawton Public Library, a longstanding pillar of the neighborhood’s academic panorama. Whereas its bodily location stays a priceless useful resource, its on-line choices have expanded dramatically. Patrons can now entry e-books, on-line databases, and streaming academic content material from the consolation of their properties. These assets break down boundaries for people with restricted mobility, demanding work schedules, or childcare duties. Furthermore, they provide entry to a breadth of knowledge far exceeding the capability of the bodily library alone. The shift has additionally spurred native academic suppliers corresponding to Cameron College to develop their on-line course choices. Because of this, college students can entry diploma applications remotely, attracting people from surrounding areas and growing the general attain of the native “training engine.”
Nevertheless, the mixing of on-line assets shouldn’t be with out its challenges. A digital divide persists in Lawton, with some residents missing entry to dependable web service or the mandatory know-how. Addressing this disparity is essential to making sure equitable entry to the advantages of the expanded “training engine.” Regardless of these challenges, the affect of on-line assets on Lawton’s training is simple. They’ve democratized entry to studying, expanded the scope of academic alternatives, and augmented the capabilities of conventional establishments. Understanding this basic shift is important for shaping the way forward for training in Lawton, Oklahoma.
6. Monetary Help
Monetary help serves because the lifeblood of Lawton, Oklahoma’s “training engine.” This engine, a metaphorical illustration of the educational alternatives out there to the neighborhood, depends closely on the accessibility of assets to drive particular person and collective development. With out the lubrication of economic help, this engine sputters, unable to completely understand its potential. For a lot of Lawton residents, notably these from lower-income backgrounds, the dream of upper training or vocational coaching stays simply {that a} dream except monetary help intervenes to make it a tangible actuality.
Take into account the story of a single mom in Lawton, working tirelessly to offer for her kids whereas harboring aspirations of changing into a registered nurse. Tuition prices at the local people faculty appear insurmountable. Nevertheless, by a mixture of Pell Grants, state-sponsored scholarships, and work-study alternatives, she enrolls within the nursing program. Monetary help does not merely ease the burden; it unlocks a pathway to a brighter future, each for her and her household. This instance illustrates the direct impression of economic help on remodeling potential into tangible achievement. By eradicating the monetary boundaries to training, monetary help empowers people to accumulate the talents and information essential to contribute to the native financial system, handle workforce shortages, and enhance their general high quality of life. Moreover, the accessibility of funding usually dictates the kinds of applications people can pursue, steering them in the direction of high-demand fields and contributing to the financial vitality of Lawton.
The understanding of this intricate relationship between monetary help and the broader academic panorama holds sensible significance for policymakers, academic establishments, and neighborhood organizations. Strategic investments in monetary help applications will not be merely charitable acts; they’re investments in the way forward for Lawton, Oklahoma. Challenges stay, in fact. Consciousness of obtainable assets must be heightened, the applying course of streamlined, and funding sources diversified to make sure long-term sustainability. Overcoming these hurdles is essential to making sure that Lawton’s “training engine” operates at its full capability, empowering all residents to attain their academic {and professional} aspirations.
7. Talent Improvement
Talent growth varieties the very core of Lawton, Oklahoma’s “training engine.” This engine, a composite of establishments, applications, and assets, good points its function and energy from its potential to domesticate sensible, marketable skills throughout the neighborhood. The acquisition of those abilities, starting from technical experience to interpersonal competencies, straight fuels Lawton’s financial system and enhances the standard of life for its residents.
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Technical Proficiencies and Vocational Coaching
Technical abilities, usually acquired by vocational coaching applications, are the pistons of the “training engine,” driving particular industries and filling essential workforce gaps. For example, the wind vitality sector in southwestern Oklahoma requires expert technicians for turbine upkeep and restore. Nice Plains Know-how Middle gives coaching on this subject, equipping people with the specialised information and hands-on expertise wanted to safe employment on this rising trade. With out these focused coaching applications, Lawton would wrestle to capitalize on the financial alternatives offered by the wind vitality sector.
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Delicate Expertise and Office Readiness
Whereas technical experience is important, comfortable abilities like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving act because the engine’s lubricant, guaranteeing easy operation and environment friendly collaboration. Native companies constantly emphasize the significance of those abilities of their hiring practices. Cameron College incorporates collaborative initiatives and presentation assignments into its curriculum, fostering these important competencies amongst its college students. Graduates who possess each technical and comfortable abilities are higher geared up to adapt to the calls for of the fashionable office, contributing successfully to their groups and organizations.
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Adaptability and Lifelong Studying
In as we speak’s quickly evolving financial system, adaptability and a dedication to lifelong studying are very important elements of talent growth. Lawton’s “training engine” should present ongoing alternatives for residents to accumulate new abilities and improve present ones. The Lawton Public Library gives a spread of on-line programs and workshops, permitting people to pursue private {and professional} growth at their very own tempo. Encouraging a tradition of steady studying ensures that Lawton’s workforce stays aggressive and resilient within the face of technological developments and financial shifts.
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Entrepreneurial Expertise and Innovation
Past conventional employment, talent growth additionally encompasses the cultivation of entrepreneurial abilities and progressive pondering. These abilities are important for fostering new companies and driving financial development throughout the neighborhood. The Lawton Chamber of Commerce helps aspiring entrepreneurs by mentorship applications and enterprise growth assets, offering them with the information and networks wanted to launch profitable ventures. By nurturing entrepreneurial expertise, Lawton can diversify its financial system and create new alternatives for its residents.
These diversified sides of talent growth, when successfully built-in into Lawton’s “training engine,” create a dynamic system that empowers people, strengthens the financial system, and improves the general well-being of the neighborhood. Investments in talent growth will not be merely expenditures; they’re strategic investments in Lawton’s future, guaranteeing that the “training engine” continues to drive progress and prosperity for generations to come back.
8. Profession pathways
Lawton, Oklahoma’s “training engine” operates with a function: to propel people towards sustainable and fulfilling careers. The profession pathways act because the roadmap, remodeling potential vitality into kinetic progress. If the engine represents the combination of assets and alternatives, the pathways outline the course and vacation spot. These pathways will not be predetermined, inflexible routes however relatively adaptable frameworks that information people by the tutorial panorama, connecting studying experiences with workforce calls for. They illuminate the routes between training and significant employment, answering the essential query: “The place does this lead?” The true measure of Lawton’s academic effectiveness lies within the accessibility and relevance of those profession pathways.
Take into account the aspiring healthcare skilled in Lawton. With out clearly outlined profession pathways, this particular person may wander aimlessly by basic coursework, uncertain of the exact steps wanted to develop into a registered nurse or medical technician. With well-defined pathways, nevertheless, the journey turns into targeted and environment friendly. Highschool college students can discover well being science applications, gaining early publicity to the sphere. Group faculties supply focused affiliate levels, offering the mandatory medical abilities. Articulation agreements with four-year universities create seamless transitions for these searching for superior levels. Native hospitals and clinics present internships and mentorship alternatives, solidifying sensible expertise. This built-in pathway, fostered by the training engine, transforms a imprecise aspiration right into a concrete profession purpose, full with the talents and credentials wanted to succeed. Furthermore, consciousness of those pathways encourages people to pursue training with larger function, enhancing motivation and persistence.
The sensible significance of understanding this connection is paramount. Lawton’s educators, policymakers, and enterprise leaders should collaborate to make sure that profession pathways are aligned with the evolving wants of the native financial system. This requires ongoing evaluation of workforce calls for, curriculum updates, and strengthened partnerships between academic establishments and employers. Whereas creating clearly outlined routes towards particular careers, it additionally necessitates fostering adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving abilities essential to navigate unexpected adjustments. Challenges stay, together with guaranteeing equitable entry to assets and addressing abilities gaps throughout the workforce. However by prioritizing the event and promotion of profession pathways, Lawton can optimize its “training engine,” empower its residents, and construct a extra affluent future.
Steadily Requested Questions About Instructional Alternatives in Lawton, Oklahoma
Navigating the tutorial panorama in Lawton might be complicated. These questions present readability on frequent inquiries, dispelling misconceptions and providing insights into the alternatives out there. The tales under are primarily based on actual situations in Lawton.
Query 1: Is additional training achievable for somebody who didnt excel academically in highschool?
The narrative of Sarah, a Lawton resident who struggled in highschool, gives hope. As soon as resigned to restricted profession prospects, Sarah found the local people faculty. Recognizing her potential, the faculty offered remedial programs and personalised help. Sarah flourished, finally incomes an affiliate’s diploma and transferring to Cameron College. Her expertise proves that previous educational struggles don’t preclude future academic success in Lawton.
Query 2: How does the tutorial system in Lawton put together people for the native job market?
Take into account the case of the Nice Plains Know-how Middle, a vocational college deeply embedded in Lawton’s financial system. When native manufacturing corporations expressed a necessity for expert machinists, the Tech Middle tailored its curriculum, incorporating cutting-edge applied sciences and hands-on coaching. Graduates of this program possess the precise abilities demanded by native employers, guaranteeing a direct pathway to employment. This responsiveness exemplifies the dedication to aligning training with the wants of the Lawton job market.
Query 3: What help programs exist for grownup learners searching for to boost their abilities in Lawton?
The story of a former navy personnel stationed at Fort Sill, searching for transition to civilian workforce, showcases Lawton’s grownup studying assets. Going through the challenges of translating navy experience into civilian credentials, he linked with the Lawton Workforce Middle. The middle offered steering on resume writing, interview abilities, and entry to coaching applications tailor-made to his pursuits. With this help, he secured a satisfying profession within the know-how sector, proving that Lawton gives pathways for grownup learners to thrive.
Query 4: Are there monetary help choices out there for Lawton residents pursuing increased training?
Replicate on the trail of a low-income pupil who dreamed of attending Cameron College. Overwhelmed by the prospect of tuition prices, she explored monetary help choices with the college’s monetary help workplace. By a mixture of Pell Grants, Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grants, and work-study applications, she was in a position to finance her training and graduate with a level in nursing. This success story illustrates the accessibility of economic help for deserving Lawton college students.
Query 5: How accessible are on-line studying assets for people dwelling in Lawton, Oklahoma?
Take into account the expertise of a single mom residing in rural Comanche County, searching for to finish her bachelor’s diploma whereas caring for her kids. The gap to Cameron College posed a major barrier. Nevertheless, by the college’s sturdy on-line studying platform, she accessed programs from house, balancing her training with household duties. This highlights the rising availability and accessibility of on-line studying assets for Lawton residents.
Query 6: In what methods does the Lawton neighborhood help academic initiatives?
The story of a neighborhood enterprise proprietor partnering with Lawton Public Colleges to create internship alternatives exemplifies neighborhood help. Recognizing the significance of getting ready college students for the workforce, he provided internships to highschool college students fascinated about engineering, offering hands-on expertise and mentorship. This collaboration demonstrates the dedication of the Lawton enterprise neighborhood to investing in the way forward for its college students.
The tutorial alternatives are numerous and accessible by strategic planning and out there help. These tales symbolize solely a fraction of the numerous people who’ve benefited from Lawton’s academic assets, highlighting the transformative energy of training throughout the neighborhood.
This concludes frequent inquiries. The subsequent part focuses on navigating the precise assets.
Navigating Lawton’s Instructional Panorama
Profitable utilization of Lawton’s academic assets requires a deliberate and knowledgeable strategy. Understanding the nuances of obtainable applications, eligibility necessities, and utility procedures is paramount to maximizing alternatives. The next steering gives sensible methods for navigating the native “training engine.”
Tip 1: Establish Profession Targets Early: Many people enter academic applications with no clear imaginative and prescient of their desired profession path. Lawton gives assets to help with profession exploration, together with aptitude checks and counseling providers on the Workforce Middle. Early identification of profession targets permits for the strategic number of academic applications aligned with workforce calls for. A pupil meaning to get into drugs should perceive what assets can be found and their pre-requisites.
Tip 2: Discover Vocational Coaching Choices: The Nice Plains Know-how Middle gives priceless vocational coaching in high-demand fields. Researching out there applications and their placement charges can reveal profitable profession pathways usually ignored in conventional educational settings. The Tech Middle web site will present data, however it’s at all times useful to go to the situation.
Tip 3: Make the most of Group Faculty as a Basis: Group faculties supply accessible and inexpensive pathways to increased training. Finishing core coursework on the neighborhood faculty earlier than transferring to a four-year college can considerably cut back tuition prices. An added bonus is that the category sizes shall be smaller than the lessons at a four-year college. Moreover, it’s going to enable the scholar to regulate to university-level training.
Tip 4: Leverage On-line Sources Strategically: Lawton Public Library gives entry to a wealth of on-line studying platforms, together with databases, e-books, and skill-building programs. Using these assets can complement formal training, purchase new abilities, and improve profession prospects. Make the most of this tax-payer funded assets.
Tip 5: Search Monetary Help Proactively: Monetary help can considerably ease the burden of training prices. Researching out there grants, scholarships, and mortgage applications is important. The monetary help workplace at Cameron College and the neighborhood faculty can present steering on eligibility necessities and utility procedures. A wonderful begin is to fill out the FASFA utility.
Tip 6: Community with Native Professionals: Constructing connections with professionals in your subject of curiosity can present invaluable insights and mentorship alternatives. Attending trade occasions, becoming a member of skilled organizations, and reaching out to people for informational interviews can develop your community and improve your profession prospects. Do not hesitate to introduce your self to people who find themselves doing what you need to do.
Tip 7: Embrace Lifelong Studying: The tutorial journey doesn’t finish with a level or certificates. A dedication to lifelong studying is important for adapting to the evolving calls for of the workforce. Repeatedly searching for alternatives to accumulate new abilities and information will guarantee long-term profession success. Subscribe to publications to remain up-to-date on the newest trade information.
Strategic navigation of Lawton’s academic panorama requires proactive analysis, cautious planning, and a dedication to steady studying. By following these methods, people can maximize their academic alternatives and obtain their profession aspirations.
The next part gives concluding ideas.
Lawton’s Enduring Promise
The previous exploration has illuminated the multifaceted nature of Lawton’s ‘training engine.’ The narrative journey underscored the importance of accessible neighborhood faculties, focused vocational coaching, sturdy grownup teaching programs, and strategic workforce readiness initiatives. The digital panorama’s integration, coupled with the essential function of economic help, varieties the bedrock upon which particular person aspirations are realized. Moreover, the concentrate on complete talent growth and punctiliously charted profession pathways paints an image of a neighborhood striving to empower its residents by studying.
But, the story of Lawton’s ‘training engine’ stays unwritten. The potential for additional development and refinement exists, demanding continued funding, progressive approaches, and unwavering dedication from all stakeholders. The long run prosperity of Lawton hinges not solely on infrastructure or trade, however on the collective capability to domesticate a studying setting that nurtures expertise, fosters innovation, and unlocks the boundless potential inside every resident. The accountability for shaping that future rests upon the shoulders of the current.
