Laramie County School District 1 received two Cutting Edge grants—the sum of which totaled $25,000—to help further Career and Technical Education opportunities in the district.
One grant was used to purchase a Direct-To-Garment Printer at Central High School, which allows students to produce T-shirts for school stores around the district, fundraisers, and outside organizations.
The printer will help fulfill Central High’s Department of Business/Computer Science and Marketing’s goal to model business and marketing principles through a new school-based enterprise.
Mark Miller, who heads the department but will be turning it over to Anna McClure when he retires this Spring, is particularly excited about what this enterprise will bring to the program.
“With the addition of the direct-to-garment printer and other equipment, our students will be able to take on a more active role in managing and operating the store, gaining real-world experience in business and marketing practices and learning a new trade,” Miller said. “Seeing our students' creativity come to life as they design and produce custom apparel has been incredibly rewarding, and we're excited to see how this venture continues to evolve in the future.”
Cooperating with industry professionals to help identify cost-effective and industry-leading technology was also a goal of the acquisition. Mandolyn Wallace with Rockin’ T-Shirts worked closely with students to help acquire the printer and train them on its usage.
The second of the two grants was engineering-based and allowed for the purchase of specialized computers that could maintain complex 3D models of students’ work. These same computers are being used in the new advanced manufacturing center at Laramie County Community College. The computers align with industry standards.
Bruce Mowry, Scott Hayes and Christopher Lindt—who teach engineering at Central, East and South high schools, respectively—have received the computers and are undergoing training on their use.
“We will have a much better idea of what these [computers] are capable of helping with student understanding next fall,” Mowry said, “after being trained and having the opportunity to use them in the classroom.”
At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, students will gain hands-on experience with the computers as well, fully realizing the potential of their designs. Through these generous grants, LCSD1 continues to place cutting-edge technology in the hands of students.
-Courtesy photos
