SNOHOMISH — Shop class is not what it used to be.
Students at Snohomish and Glacier Peak high schools still work with wood and metal to make toys, senior plaques and even a canoe. The difference is that now they also use computers, 3-D printers and composite materials.
In a computer-a
ided design class Thursday, Snohomish High School senior Trevor Mott was removing excess composite from a prototype plaque by soaking it in hot water.
Mott, 17, likes using computers for design because he’s not a good artist. He’s taken this class all through high school, hoping it will help him with his career. “I want to go into aviation and become and aerospace engineer,” he said.
The school district and Everett Community College have been awarded a $879,725 grant used to develop a curriculum and replicate the class in other schools around the Western Washington region.
The goal is to get students more excited about manufacturing careers and land better-paying jobs.
“We are looking for people to build the next 787,” said Steve Cotterill, director for Career and Technical Education for the district.
The district and EvCC received the grant from the National Science Foundation. It will be applied to the three-year Snohomish County Advanced Manufacturing Project.
The grant will pay for equipment, summer training, instructors and even help students get internships at companies in the area. EvCC already is hiring summer camp trainers and ordering new equipment, including 3-D handheld scanners and 3-D printers.
“Now the schools can prepare the students for the workforce of today, rather than how it was three decades ago,” Cotterill said.
“Effects in the classrooms are going to be tremendous,” district spokeswoman Kristin Foley said.
The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency which provides funding for basic research in mathematics, social science and computer science at colleges and universities across the nation.
Edmonds Community College also received a grant of $343,316 for the similar goal of introducing manufacturing and related science and math to teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade.
EvCC has had a partnership with the Snohomish School District for years. As part of the partnership, EvCC has access to the facilities in Snohomish High School for a composite class. With the grant, there are plans to expand the number of classes to Snohomish and Glacier Peak high schools. In addition, college students will teach and mentor high school students, and college instructors will give summer training to middle- and high-school teachers, said Heather Bennet, executive director for resources development.
“The goal is to get the students excited about science and engineering, because that’s where the jobs are going,” she said.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
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