June 15, 2023 at 11:09 a.m.
Donation provides boost as SDR considers tech ed upgrades
Donation provides boost as SDR considers tech ed upgrades
Two major donations have helped springboard the initiative. In April, the district announced that Dr. Lee Swank had made a five-year commitment of $500,000 toward updating the district's technical education equipment/facilities. Last week, the district received another sizable donation - $10,000 from Superior Diesel, local distributor of John Deere Diesel engines and Funk Drivetrain components.
That money will be used to purchase a carbon fiber printer for the Rhinelander High School Fab Lab, according to RHS Principal Shane Dornfeld.
The donation is a continuation of what has been a "fantastic" relationship between Superior Diesel and the district, according to district administrator Eric Burke.
As part of the Inspire Rhinelander program, officials at Superior Diesel have offered insight and expertise as to what students need to know to be successful if they want to work in the tech/engineering sector.
"We've had them come now several times this past school year, just listening to their thoughts about what do they need from employees and how we can work together," Burke said, noting that the thoughts and ideas of those currently running businesses in the tech/engineering sector are invaluable as the district strives to ensure students are ready to join the workforce.
"We want to make sure they have good equipment to learn on," Burke said. "(We need to know) what kind of equipment do we need in our auto shop, in our construction classes, woodshop, welding, to make sure we are best preparing are kids."
Dornfeld and Burke said the tech ed offerings (which include welding, metal shop, auto, small engines, woodworking and residential construction, in addition to the Fab Lab and electronics) are popular with students as they allow for hands-on learning. For example, in the Dream it/Design It/Create It class, students use computers to design items and then use 3D printers and other technology to bring their creations to life.
"(In tech ed) you work with your mind and your hands, and in teams, and problem-solve," Dornfeld noted, adding that these skills translate to good-paying jobs.
In an effort to expand its offerings, the district has also hired a second tech ed instructor who will start this fall, and has expanded the curriculum to include a marine and power sports mechanical class, they noted.
The next step is a survey to determine whether there is community-wide interest in additional equipment and facility improvements.
"We're going to ask the board to survey the community, see if they would possibly support a capital project referendum for part of it, all of it, none of it, see what the interest is there," Burke said in April following the announcement of the Swank donation.
"The equipment is one piece and the actual facility is another piece and that's where the capital project part of it comes in," he added, noting that such an upgrade would be a "tremendous value" that would "pay off big time for our community down the road."
The school board is expected to discuss the tech plan and survey when it meets on June 19.
"We don't know where this is going to go," Burke noted. "All we know is we want to make updates to this area in both space and equipment. Just like all (aspects) of our school, we try to make our experience as good as possible for all of our students. This is an area where we have a lot of student interest and a lot of community interest, so we're just trying to do the best we can."
Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].
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