Cameras to Art, led by the Tech Center's Graphic Art and Design instructor, was brimming with creativity last week. Students were outside and inside finding inspiration and taking photos.
The campers learned how to take good pictures learning the compositional guidelines of photography. They also learned how to use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator. They created buttons and stickers and then got to print their work and frame their best piece in a 5x7" frame to take home. Being creative is fun...and we had fun!
For Summer Tech Camp, the Ink to Fabric campers learned the basics of screen printing along with a brief history of where it came from and all of the different places that screen printing is used other than shirts and hats. The students then learned how to select an image that would print well, produce a transparency of the image, use a light exposure table to produce a printable screen, mount the screen in a press, and then they finally print and heat set to make their custom shirt!
Our two counselors who were new to the Tech Center this year, took on leading and teaching the Future You program. Today they toured the manufacturing plant at Allegan Event. Campers learned about how ropes courses are created and about all the different job areas from administration to working at the actual course. The job skills utilized throughout this company include machining/CNC, welding, engineering, marketing, and graphic art and design.
The Car Care session of our Car Care/Big Rig Tech Camp program did some awesome things this week as well. The campers built a model combustion engine and learned about its internal parts, learned about electricity, and built an electric motor - all while learning the difference between engines and motors. They also got some time out in the shop to learn and operate the car lifts and other shop equipment.
Not to be out done, the campers in the Fire section of Fire and Steel are learning tons! They were exposed to and learned to use the plasma torch and oxyfuel torch. They created flowers out of metal washers.
These projects were completed by the Steel section of Fire and Steel. This Tech Center program was one split into two sections taught by the welding/Fire and machining/Steel instructors.
The students used the mills to drill holes in aluminum and made the golf tee game and aluminum dice. They learned to polish the projects using sandpaper and Scotchbrite pads.
These are super cool!
Our Tech Camp program, Pet Care Basics, had some fun learning yesterday! They created whole ingredient pet snacks and also dissected pieces of chicken, learning to locate and identify tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.
The EMS Tech Camp program yesterday completed a team building project and then made edible skin!
Campers were busy in the 'Steel' portion of the Fire and Steel program which is taught by the Manufacturing Careers Technology instructor. The campers utilized aluminum and the machines to create a brain twister toy project....you may recognize it from Cracker Barrel!
The first day of Tech Camp, the Tour the Town program visited downtown Plainwell for "Plainwell History and Downtown Scavenger Hunt." They visited City Hall, the Fire Department, Dean's Ice Cream, and the Water Renewal Plant. Fun fact: the Plainwell Mayor, Lori Snyder-Steele, was also their tour guide/bus driver!
The Big Rig campers were exposed to the mini excavator and backhoe today....so much fun!
Summer Tech Camp started today. Babysitting Pro dove right into infant care, emergency care, and entertainment/interactive activities.
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Mr. Dennany, the Heavy Equipment instructor, challenged his seniors this year to earn the first-ever "Mr. D Scholarship." The students had to apply and earn the most scholarship money. The winner received $100 from Mr. D. MaKenna Long was the winner! Congratulations on your hard work with your scholarship applications, MaKenna!
Jason Jacobs, the owner of @realwoodfloors visited the Building Trades 1 program and demonstrated all the different pieces of equipment utilized day to day and also the aspects of running a wood floor business. Thank you to Jason for sharing and for demonstrating the hard work and work ethic it takes to do something you are passionate about!
Again this year, the Building Trades 1 program partnered with @Roy's Home Center in Gobles and fabricated ten 'stair decks' for use with their custom modular homes. Thank you, Roy's, for allowing our students to help with this project!
With the re-branding throughout the Allegan Area ESA, the Graphic Art & Design students have been kept very busy helping to create various new projects with the new logo, font, and color schemes. In addition, they were asked to design a new logo for the upcoming 5K Walk/Run. The process started with over 200 designs that were narrowed down to twelve to present to the client. The winning design was the creation of Lillian Templin a Plainwell High School senior.
Building Trades 2 students have worked this year on the finishing touches of the student-built house. The last project was the basement which has a bedroom, full bathroom, and a rec room. The students learned this spring about framing walls, insulation, rough-in wiring and plumbing, and HVAC.
The public is invited to an Open House, to see what the Allegan Tech Center Building Trades 2 students and program has accomplished!
June 13, 12:30-5pm at 3225 Fairhaven Dr, Allegan.
Manufacturing Career Technology students recently participated in the MITES Regional and State competition. A total of 12 projects were entered in the Regional and all 12 received a ribbon for placing in the top 6 places of their categories. A total of 8 projects qualified for the State competition that was held at Wings Stadium this year. Three of the eight projects ribboned at the State level. Congratulations to all of the students on their accomplishments!
Students placing at Regionals: 1st place – Aydin Tolliver, Taegan Harris (2); 2nd place – Isabelle Tuls (2); 3rd place – Cole Barnes; 4th place – Jamie Barker; and 5th place – Joseph Sisson.
Students placing at State: 2nd place – Aydin Tolliver; 6th place – Connor Kidder; and 7th place – Taegan Harris.
Building Trades 1 students participated in the MITES (Michigan Industrial and Technology Education Society) competition last week and took 3rd place building a storage shed. Congratulations to Craig Dermody, Nathan Dobry, Colton Kennedy , and Nolan Wood.
