Explore the New Manufacturing is pleased to announce the Outstanding Eastern Region Award for the Explore Manufacturing Innovation Challenge was presented to Spring Mills High School for their project with AMS Vendors. The company challenged the students to redesign a bezel to meet ADA requirements and within cost parameters.
Next up for the team is the state competition, where they will represent the Eastern Region to see who will be named the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge 2023 State Champion. PCTC will be competing against three other regional champions. The winner will be announced on May 10th as part of Explore the New Manufacturing's Virtual State Awards Ceremony.
Spring Mills Team: Sam Stotler (Project Foreman), Zachary Vanderhoef (Documentation Team Leader), Michael Carinelli (Documentation Team Member), Ethan Whitacre (Communication Team Leader), Josiah Fowler (Communications Team Member), William Shadden (Safety Team Leader), Landon Neighly (Safety Team Member), Sam Digiovanni (Safety Team Member), and Spring Mills Faculty Advisor Sarah Slatcoff.
AMS Team: Jim Smith, Greg Mason, Grace Carver.
“Today’s high school students will be tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce in West Virginia, said Program Director Monica Cross, who oversees the Explore the New Manufacturing Program on behalf of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association Educational Fund’s efforts to create student awareness and excitement about careers in manufacturing and the training opportunities for these positions in their local areas. “We are excited to have Spring Mills High School and AMS Vendors team up for this year’s challenge. The real-world experience provides insight into a modern manufacturing environment that uses skills in technology, problem-solving, creativity, and communication that they have been developing in school.”
Explore's Manufacturing Innovation Challenge is designed to allow high school student teams to solve real-world manufacturing problems faced by West Virginia manufacturers. Each challenge is unique and can come from a variety of aspects of the company's operations. Students learn how problem-solving skills are a critical element to job performance. The challenge concludes with a formal team presentation, after which students and manufacturers discuss the feasibility of implementing the solution. The experience illustrates how teamwork, adaptability, and communication skills are used to implement the industry's solutions.
