ARNOLD, Neb. (AP) - The idea of teaching skills that will serve students in the workplace is not new, but Clay and Julie Mohr of Arnold have taken that philosophy to another level.
Clay took the Arnold High School arts graphic arts program and, with Julie’s help, turned it into an actual business within the school.
The students design and make a variety of products including banners, posters, road signs and anything else they can dream up.
The program began 17 years ago. Currently, the students start in fifth grade learning entry-level skills.
“It started out kind of in its infancy, with the first piece of equipment a 24-inch plotter cutter,” Clay told The North Platte Telegraph. “Over the years, the kids started a company, and all the profits we roll back into the company and just keep expanding.”
ESU 10 purchased a large laser cutter with Perkins funds to be utilized by the schools.
“They would ship the laser around to various schools and you’d get it for a six-week period at a time,” Clay said. “I had a group of sophomore boys at the time that were full of themselves, one of those things where school wasn’t super important.”
They were the first ones to use the laser to produce various products, such as name plates and a number of other entry-level items.
“They were just enthralled,” Clay said. “They were focused on the things we could do with it. They would come in after football practice and we’d be here until 10-10:30 at night. I’d have to tell them to go home.”
The laser was available for only six weeks, but the kids wanted to keep it going.
“So my wife did some research and we came up with a little plotter cutter and then we worked with Mid-Plains Community College on a grant and we spent $2,500 of that on software and a computer,” Clay said.
Through upgrading equipment and software, the Mohrs have used the program to expand the business into the summer months as well.
“About 10-years ago we went to year round,” Clay said. “During the school year, the students’ paycheck is their grade, but we still operate like a business.”
In the summer, the school’s company employs eight to 14 students and they are paid minimum wage during that time. Clay said the students run the business themselves and they have responsibilities as any business venture would.
The students go through job interviewing and interviews, the soft skills Julie says are so important in the working world.
“It’s not really our goal that they go into the graphics business, but a lot of them it’s the different skills of working with people and being able to go and meet people,” Julie said. “It’s their soft skills that take them further.”
The Mohrs said with the farming economy is now, there aren’t the ag jobs there used to be.
“In a small community like this, there’s only so many employment opportunities out there, so we really opened the door for these kids,” Clay said. “The kids use a variety of software from Adobe Illustrator to Aspire, which is a 3-D software,” Clay said. “The amazing thing with the kids is that the software and the technology doesn’t scare them. It’s pretty intuitive for them, but there’s still a lot of training the kids will go through that they’ll get here.”
As the kids work their way up in the company and become department heads, part of their responsibility is to train the people under them.
“When we went to year-round, we went out and got the county roads 911 project and started doing all the signage,” Clay said. “We started with one of the biggest counties in the state, Custer County.”
The students organized the project and Clay said it took about two years to get it lined out.
“We then went out and sold to Custer County, Logan County, Thomas County, Grant County, Hooker County and a fourth of Cherry County,” Clay said. “We had a crew that went out at 4 in the morning to hang signs.”
Custer County took two summers to complete because the county has 1,235 intersections.
Another benefit to the students was learning how to use the Diggers Hotline.
“When they were to dig a hole in the ground, every time it has to be approved,” Clay said. “At that time, the Diggers Hotline was based in Omaha and their software wasn’t real sophisticated. It was very time consuming. We just kept calling in and it was just too much.”
Diggers Hotline then offered to train the students to locate utility lines and the Mohrs took them to Omaha to get certified.
The latest piece of equipment is a FusionPro laser cutter that sells for $47,000.
“We applied for a Revisions Grant and a Perkins Grant that a lot of the schools apply for,” Clay said. “We applied for it two years ago and went through the first stage. The second stage, we were awarded the grant and this is a brand new, state of the art, the latest and greatest piece of technology in laser application.”
The students say they enjoy being a part of the program.
Bailey Schwarz, a junior, said she likes working with the signs.
“We cut out things in vinyl, so any designs or words,” Schwarz said. “I like doing all the things, like leading it out and applying them onto the boards. I think that’s just satisfying and fun to do.”
She said her department creates the road signs, logos and sponsor boards in the gym.
“You learn a lot of real-life business skills,” said Jadeyn Bubak, also a junior. “So like instead of getting normal grades in this class, we get like a pay grade. We get a grade based on attendance, how much we get done, our work ethic, things like that.”
Junior Kacee Dvorak said she likes the creative part of the business.
“I kind of got into it because I have a natural talent for all of the designing and the layout in the design,” Dvorak said. “I also like working in my little department. I work in the print department and right now I’ve been designing a lot of cornhole boards. I’ve also done a lot of banners and big signs. I like doing all that stuff, it’s fun.
Jessee Connell, a junior, likes the variety of skills he is learning.
“I just enjoy the time and learning how to do the different things and the machines,” Connell said. “The first machine I learned to use was the printer. Since then, I’ve learned to design. I’m not very keen on designing stuff, but I can.
“It’s nice to learn new things about machines that will help us later in life.”
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