— from Corey Wiscomb, Orcas High School teacher —
Last scholastic year, with the help of Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF), the Orcas High School introduced a new course in STEM Guitar Building. The hands-on course gained an instant popularity with students as an approach that immediately applies the taught concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“The students were immensely engaged in the course, and that made instructing it incredibly enjoyable. The STEM Guitar class students were into it, and some students that normally couldn’t wait to be out of a class were even asking me to come in before and after school. When you get that kind of energy from students you have to step up and challenge them even more in appropriate ways” commented instructor Corey Wiscomb.
One of the challenges that Wiscomb hopes to add to the course is in Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and manufacture through the purchase of a CNC Router. A CNC Router is an electronic tool used to cut out the designs made via computer into various materials such as metal and wood. It’s at the cutting-edge (pun intended) of manufacturing combining functional and creative-artistic elements with the latest in technology. Wiscomb hopes to use the CNC machine in roughing in and creating guitar bodies and neck parts.
The CNC Router doesn’t come cheap though. Final price tag is about $18,000. After instructing at a summer seminar this past July, Wiscomb received a $2,000 Grant from a tech company that backs STEM classes and feels such education develops the dynamic, creative-thinking minds we need in our American economy now. That combined with some Perkins grant funds, the school has just over $3,000 started towards the goal.
“Right now we are paying another school with a CNC Router to manufacture these parts for us,(about $100 per student) and we take over from there doing the rest of the work by hand. Not only would we save considerable money by creating our own parts, we would provide that much more of an educational experience.”
“Now is a perfect time to integrate this piece of technology into our classroom. The community has supported our construction bond recently and we are in the process of building a new Career Tech Education (CTE) building that is all about the kind of courses taught in STEM. A CNC machine would have a great home in the new building and be available not just to the STEM Guitar Building course, but other courses such as those instructed by Woodshop teacher Mark Padbury, and Applied Physics instructor Brett McFarland.”
If you are interested in donating to the fundraiser for a CNC Machine, or would just like to view the link and share it with others, then community members are encouraged to visit the site again at: https://igg.me/at/ohscnc The fundraiser is live until October 15th, 2014.
OIEF is also supporting the class this year. It is funding kits and more equipment(everything from a Guitar Tech Screw Driver set to an oscillating edge/belt spindle sander.)
We hope you will join in Corey’s effort to raise money for the router. The router will make it possible for the class to build the guitars without relying on funding for the kits. The router is a big ticket item with a big ticket benefit!
Janet Brownell, President
Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF)
I like to see the school include industrial arts type of programs to teach kids how to build and use tools. I will be donating to the guitar making fund raiser.
Linda, Deer Harbor
Me too, Linda. I just don’t know why they have to call it “STEM.”