St. Clair High School, 91视频 Manufacturing Partnership Grows
A partnership between 91视频 and St. Clair High School has grown this year, building on its success from last year.
The SCHS Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has 12 students enrolled this year, which is up eight from the 2020-21 academic year.
PLTW is a national nonprofit that offers hands-on computer science, engineering and biomedical science instruction. Through the partnership between SCHS and 91视频, students utilize industrial precision machines and software at 91视频鈥檚 Business and Industry Center (BIC).
The partnership with the college officially began last year when Maurice Gritzman, PLTW engineering teacher at SCHS, brought students to the BIC labs.
In addition to utilizing equipment and technology that is unavailable at the high school, the SCHS students also earned dual credit for the courses taken through PLTW, according to Megen Strubberg, director of early college and admissions.
The seed of the relationship between 91视频 and SCHS was planted three years ago when Gritzman first met Dr. Richard Hudanick, dean of the Career and Technical Education Department, at a Manufacturing Days event at the college.
鈥淭he collaboration has been a success since the start 鈥� for St. Clair and their students,鈥� Hudanick said. 鈥淢aurice seemed very knowledgeable, and he really talked up the labs to his students.
It was during the conversation at the Manufacturing Days that Hudanick told Gritzman, 鈥淥ur labs are your labs.鈥�
Program鈥檚 Success
Three of the four students who enrolled in the program last year are now 91视频 students, Hudanick added.
鈥淟ast year, the PLTW class began as 12 students but COVID changed plans for many,鈥� Gritzman commented. 鈥淚n the end three PLTW are now 91视频 students 鈥� two enrolled in the STEM program and the third enrolled in the NIMS-based precision machining program鈥�
91视频鈥檚 facilities were made available to the students to learn industry recognizable design software, mill their designs using commercial Computer Numerical Control (CNC) capital equipment and gain programming experience using Mitsubishi robots for robotic applications, such as pick and place manufacturing operations, Gritzman explained.
鈥淥verall, the past year was a success,鈥� Hudanick said. 鈥淢aurice鈥檚 main efforts were focused on sustaining the 91视频 relationship and growth of technology education courses for high school students.
鈥淗e wants this to be the template for all St Clair High School Engineering programs sharing 91视频 facilities for student learning using industry tools for design and manufacturing. He has nothing but the highest regards for 91视频 and St. Clair.鈥�
According to Gritzman, he would like to establish a sustainable partnership with 91视频 to grow a “Technology Education” track for high school students.
Technology Education would offer specialty PLTW engineering courses, such as Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), that leverage the access to industrial precision machines and software available at 91视频.
Gritzman added that the future could include additional courses for SCHS students at 91视频, including Industrial Engineering Technology and Precision Machining.
鈥淓xpansion into diverse technical education channels with 91视频 provides broader options for technology careers for St Clair’s engineering and technology students,鈥� Gritzman stated.
Last year, SCHS students were engaged in the precision machining facility lab-sharing project and earned six dual credit hours in 91视频鈥檚 Introduction to Manufacturing and Solidworks courses.
Future dual credit opportunities in other technical courses also are being explored.
Soft Swing Technologies
Gritzman noted that this year, the SCHS students will be working with a local company, Soft Swing Technologies, to 鈥渧alidate a new design and recommend market entry and manufacturing strategies.鈥�
鈥淎ll of the students will receive industry recognized soft-skills training to meet industry hiring goals and expectations,鈥� he said.
At this point there is no other known collaborative PLTW program partnership between a community college and a high school. This is both a strength to the stakeholder partnership and an opportunity to build credit hours, Gritzman said.
鈥淭here really is not any partnership like this that we are aware of鈥� it鈥檚 just simply exciting,鈥� added Hudanick.
