Economically developing areas like the Dells have many opportunities for people of the trade, and the Wisconsin Dells School District is using them to their advantage.
The district's engineering education program has expanded significantly in the past two years, according to two instructors and school staff. Students enrolled in metalworking and woodworking courses have access to a wide variety of machines for construction projects such as construction, engines, woodworking, and welding.
“We've seen this program really grow since I've been here,” said Dominic Kuhn, a sophomore metal teacher at Wisconsin Dells High School (WDHS). "Great participation of many students in many classes".
Kuhn and principal Alison Hoch say the majority of students enrolled in technical education programs are potentially pursuing business careers. Other courses in the program include home and automotive maintenance, computer technology, and Wisconsin Dells High School (WDMS) introductory technical training course for eighth grade students.
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“This demonstrates that our teachers are engaging students in technical education and providing students with after-school career options,” Hoch said, adding that community support through donations and projects has contributed greatly to the growth of the program.
Metals students start with basic welding and structural joining. According to Kuhn, introductory metal courses now use sheet metal and computer plasma cutting to learn how to make marks. The computerized machines are modeled using the same technology as the metal trade.
Heat treatment and forging are courses for students of intermediate metals (Metals and Fabrication 2). Kuhn says the third-level course focuses on building a design portfolio, which aims to get students to create their own designs.
“We have a fantastic shop here and a really fantastic schedule,” Kuhn said. "It's really amazing for kids."
The metal workshop has 18 welding machines, forging and presses, hot furnaces, numerical control machines and laser engraving.
In the area, sophomore Doug Stetzer works as a woodworking instructor, overseeing storage and craft projects, cabinets, fixtures and kitchen utensils.
“Our woodworking program focuses on both traditional and modern complex manufacturing technologies,” says Stetzer. "We have three woodworking courses and one construction course.
The first three-person carpentry class focuses on more traditional methods and produces projects such as cutting boards, bowls, and ottomans. Woodworking 2 focuses on cabinetmaking, and Woodworking 3 is a dual-credit course at Madison Technical College (MATC) that emphasizes planning and modeling current designs while developing more complex designs.
According to Stetzer, the cabinet design introduces carpentry students to the tools and techniques used in modern manufacturing. The woodworking equipment provided to engineering students includes a table and saws, a plane, three woodworking machines, and various hand tools.
The other two courses are dual enrollment at TCM, with two levels each. Metals and Computer Engineering have opportunities for early college credits.
According to Stetzer, the building program, which is part of the carpentry program available after the first carpentry class, teaches you to build from scratch or build from a concrete foundation, as well as learn about entry frames, roofs, and walls. . Things built by builders are sold to the public.
District Administrator Terry Slack, who worked as a technical education teacher before his career as a school administrator, said it's great to see the enthusiasm behind the district's program. He discussed donations from Noah's Ark Water Park founder Turk Waterman and their friend David Walsh's family, totaling more than $50,000 for technical education.
“Two of our faculty, Dominic Kuhn and Doug Stetzer, are determined to move the department forward by taking some of the courses they teach next year,” Slack said. "The current economy is supportive of students interested in careers in any field, and is directly related to one of the district's strategic goals, which is to graduate students who are poised to succeed after high school."
Slack adds that the fund lets you invest in some of the advanced tools available in the program. According to the administrators, the tools and the greater flexibility of the current project have increased the interest of the students. He added that the district plans to invest two to four more devices to continue students with quality equipment.
The WDHS store space is open concept and was designed by retired technology educator Dave Simachek and former WDHS principal Hugh Gaston, who is now the district's director of learning and digital technology, according to Slack.
