Iconex, Duluth High School partner to offer enhanced engineering opportunities to students
A local manufacturing company has committed to a partnership meant to strengthen Duluth High School鈥檚 already decorated engineering program.
鈥淭his is really a big deal for our school for several reasons,鈥� said Duluth High School Principal Anthony Smith. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very proud of some of the work we are doing, but partnerships with our community help us ensure that our students are having a world-class experience.鈥�
On Tuesday, Duluth-based Iconex presented school officials with a grant for $35,000 to help the engineering program beef up its equipment and teacher training as it continues to roll out its new Project Lead the Way curriculum, a relatively new approach to teaching all its Career Technical Education programs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 basically a project-based learning curriculum where the science and the math is built in and the kids are learning in a hands-on environment,鈥� said Duluth High鈥檚 lead engineering teacher Jonathan Roy.
The PTW curriculum has three different levels that students must move through in order to complete their 鈥減ath鈥� in engineering 鈥� foundations of engineering, engineering concepts and engineering applications. The projects the students complete become more complex with each level.
So far, Duluth High has rolled out foundations of engineering and engineering concepts. Roy estimates it could take two or three more years before the school is ready to roll out engineering applications. It will also take more teacher training and advanced robotics equipment.
That鈥檚 where Iconex鈥檚 monetary contribution comes in. But the Iconex Vice President of People Operations Jonathan Collier said the company intends to invest more than money in Duluth High鈥檚 evolving engineering program. He said Iconex will regularly present to students or bring them to their manufacturing facilities so they can get a feel for the careers they鈥檙e training for.
Collier said Iconex is even looking into allowing classes to complete small portions of projects their engineers are working on.
鈥淲e recognize that STEM and STEAM are very important,鈥� Collier said. 鈥淲e have manufacturing jobs we want to show and expose everyone to those manufacturing jobs to get them excited about opportunities in the future.鈥�
That partnership is designed to benefit Iconex as much as it is Duluth High鈥檚 students, said Iconex CEO Craig Gunckel.
鈥淥ne of the challenges, not just facing Iconex, but anybody in the manufacturing space, is that there aren鈥檛 a lot of young folks that are coming the industry,鈥� Gunckel said. 鈥淪o there鈥檚 a real need for people to be excited about manufacturing and there鈥檚 a real lack of people who have the desire and the actual skill set to come into these jobs.鈥�
On Tuesday, Gunckel toured Duluth High School鈥檚 engineering lab and meant with some of the students already beginning on their engineering 鈥減ath鈥� under the new curriculum. He said he was already encouraged by the excitement he saw in those kids.
Three freshmen working on a catapult project caught Gunckel鈥檚 attention in particular.
鈥淔irst of all, they were excited and having fun,鈥� Gunckel said. 鈥淭he thought process was really using science and math.鈥�
He said one of the students talked to him about kinetic energy and how they could utilize it to help with their project.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember as a freshman in high school having conversations about kinetic energy,鈥� Gunckel said. 鈥淎nd they were excited about it.鈥�
He said that made him feel good about Iconex鈥檚 partnership with the high school. Duluth school officials are excited about that partnership, too.
鈥淭his is great for us. We have a community that鈥檚 proud of their school and for good reason,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淥ur students are accomplishing some amazing things. Industry partnerships, high-quailty professional development and other things of this nature help us ensure that our students get a world-class experience.鈥�