Seven students from Northwest High School’s engineering and design development capstone class will showcase their innovative work in their final presentations.
The public is invited to view the round table-style presentations on Monday, May 12.
Kyle Edwards, who teaches the class, said the event will feature three team presentations from the high school’s fourth-year engineering students. For the presentation, which will last about 45 minutes each, students will speak about the projects they worked on all school year, researching problems and developing solutions for them.
Edwards, 27, of Fenton said the presentations serve as the final assessment for his senior engineering students.
“I enjoy witnessing our fourth-year students apply the knowledge and skills they have developed over the past three years to real-world problems through their yearlong projects,” said Edwards, who is in his third year of teaching at Northwest as the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering design and development (EDD) teacher, as well as the instructor for second-year engineering students, physical science and intro to leadership. “This course offers them a unique opportunity to take charge of their designs and solutions, preparing them for future collegiate challenges.”
The presentations will begin at 5 p.m. at the high school, 6005 Cedar Hill Road, in Cedar Hill. Those interested in attending the event should park in the front parking lot by the main entrance.
Teams and their projects
Erin Anderson and Nathan Smith make up the ‘Heater Hooligans’ team, and their project addresses the safety risks related to portable space heaters and how to redesign them for improved stability and user-friendliness while incorporating safety features to reduce fire hazards.
Andrew Grellner, Andrew Mayer and Evan Porter comprise the ‘GMP Solutions’ team. Their project focuses on creating a versatile gym clip to use during weightlifting designed to enhance functionality and durability based on user feedback.
‘The Giants’ team is made up of Trysten Hoffmeister and Owen Perry, and their project targets underdeveloped tibialis muscles, addressing related issues, such as shin splints and flat feet through a specialized strengthening machine.
The three teams will present their work twice, at 5 p.m. and at 6 p.m.
“I encourage the public to attend, as it is a fantastic opportunity to witness the innovation of our engineering seniors,” said Edwards, who also coaches the school’s robotics team.
Recognition ceremony
Following the presentations, a recognition ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria, where students will be awarded with personalized lab coats and graduation cords to showcase and honor their completion of the PLTW engineering pathway, which consists of four classes: Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), Principles of Engineering (POE), Digital Electronics (DE) and Engineering Design & Development (EDD). Students must pass each course with a grade of C or better to continue and complete the pathway requirements for graduation.
Edwards looks forward to visitors not only seeing the presentations, but also for his students to showcase their hard work.
“I am incredibly proud of my students. This class offers a unique challenge, allowing them to explore beyond conventional curricula. Their hard work deserves recognition, and I believe that having community support at this event means a great deal to them,” Edwards said.