Learn more about the engineering program at Chattahoochee High: school.fultonschools.org/hs/chattahoochee.
While there’s much talk about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math in preparing students for tomorrow’s careers, Chattahoochee High’s engineering and architecture instructor Gregg Mervich says there’s an important component missing from that acronym.
“It’s the art component - that’s the heart of the design process,” said Mervich, who has been at the Johns Creek school for 12 years. “It’s the artistic bent that draws people in. Here, we focus on STEAM and work on efforts to introduce kids to the art of engineering and technology.”
In Mervich’s hands-on classroom, students get practical experience by working on a range of engineering and architectural projects. The high-tech space is outfitted with 25 “trainers,” work stations where students spend a month learning a specific engineering skill.
“It’s quite challenging to be on top of it all,” said Mervich. “I’ve got electronic and robotic equipment as well as woodworking and welding equipment.”
After students have acquired proficiency in handling the various trainers, they then get to apply their skills to a project that requires collaboration, ingenuity and some of the artful process Mervich encourages.
“I split the class into two student-run companies, and they each get a design brief of about 10 pages that tells them how to make something,” he explained. “Their job is to research all aspects of what has to be done to accomplish this task. They come up with portfolios of reports, drawings, material lists and information about how to do it. They even make PowerPoint presentations that explain everyone’s role in the production process. It’s very real-world.”
Past classes have created robotic aluminum can crushers, hovercrafts and downhill coasters with pneumatic-powered brakes that raced around the school’s driveway. His most recent assignment was to build a system to mass-produce 80 gumball machines during one week of classes.
“On our trial run the day before Thanksgiving, we produced about 30,” he said. “Then during the regular class periods, we produced 70 more. They were really popping out.”
Pulling the pieces together was stressful, said senior Garrett Kolls, who was in charge of the start-up process. “I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did,” he admitted. “I spent a lot of time just trying to organize things.”
For senior Bill Rettig, who led one of the project teams, the fun was working as a unit on a real project.
“I’ve always been hands-on, but I’m also very interested in working in the design field, and this was both,” he said. “I liked the creative process of it. And it was fun - we had stuff rolling in every direction.”
The gumball project also got students in the business department involved. They put together a marketing plan that sold 70 machines for $10 each to defray the cost of materials.
“I was a huge success,” said Mervich. “My big dream is to set up a little gumball machine factory in the mall and let people see them being produced right in front of them. It’s fascinating to watch all of it happening at once.”
Even without spectators, Mervich said the project left students with a better understanding of how creativity plays a role in engineering.
“We need to inspire more young people to go into engineering, and with a program like this, we’re succeeding,” he said. “It’s so focused on what engineers do all the time. It makes kids say they love what they’re doing and want to go on doing more.”
About the Author
