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Bringing Industry Into the Classroom and Lab

School:: DeLand High School
Subject:: Career & Technical Education
Teacher:: Brett Brandner
: Andrew Peck
Students Impacted:: 100
Grade:: 9-12
Date:: September 13, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

FUTURES Foundation - $985.00

Goal

09.0 Practice personal, equipment, and shop safety.
10.0 Select and use hand and power tools.
17.0 Demonstrate welding skills.
17.01 Demonstrate appropriate safety precautions and equipment.
09.01 Select and use electric arc to complete a weld.
17.04 Select and use MIG to complete a weld.

What will be done with my students

As the only Agricultural Mechanics Program remaining in Volusia County, we are constantly trying to upgrade and modify our facilities to increase our students preparedness to enter the workforce. Several years ago, we realized that there was a shortage of welders and metalworkers in our community. There are 2 trailer manufacturing facilities that are always looking for employees with the basic skills needed to work in this career. With that being said, we revamped the mechanics program to focus heavily on welding and metalworking.
Last year, we secured funding to purchase a basic Ironworker machine similar to what is being used in our community. While ours is basic, it still allows us to teach the skills and operation of the equipment a student would use in the workplace. We purchased a basic machine and would like to add several accessories that will expand our ability to produce trained students leaving high school. An ironworker is a tool that cuts, punches and bends metal in a safer and more efficient manner. This tool and accessories will be utilized for many years.

Benefits to my students

Benefits to students can be difficult to measure when dealing with a hands on curriculum, but the following clearly stand out:
Students will be better able to cut metal to specific sizes.
Students will learn to operate equipment that is standard in the welding industry.
Welding students will work in a more safe environment (less moving parts than saws and drills)
Less waste will be produced, therefor saving money for the program.
Students will be able to make more accurate cuts, holes and bends using the guides being requested.
They will be able to produce better individualized projects based on their interests.

Budget Narrative

As described above, These 3 items all improve and enhance the capability of the MetalPro Ironworker. The Heavy Duty Notcher is designed to make small, precise cuts in angle iron or flat metal, hence allowing students better fit up of pieces to be welded.
The Shear Shelf Extension attaches to the machines shearing station. It make cutting more accurate and allows stops to be placed to produce pieces of identical length.
The Punch Station Plate attaches to the punch station on the Ironworker. Similar to the shear plate, it allows the students to reproduce holes in metal at identical places on their metal.