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Posted September 25, 2023
As Panther football fans arrive for home games this year, they pass under an arch created by Plymouth High School technology education students – with assistance from industry professionals – to recognize local businesses that helped fund the turf surface at Finke Field.
“Students were involved in the project from start to finish,” said PHS tech ed teacher Jake Sherman. “This was a great opportunity for them to see the process and steps necessary to complete a construction project.”
The turf project came about because PHS wanted to resurface its deteriorating outdoor track and address drainage issues for the track and the surrounding football field. Administrators realized that the project created an opportunity to switch to a turf playing surface, and local businesses committed more than $700,000 in exchange for advertising to fund the upgrade.
The PHS Tech Ed Department was asked to build an entryway structure to recognize top-tier sponsors, and the project was incorporated into coursework for the 2022-23 school year.
“This project featured extensive collaboration within the Tech Ed Department,” Mr. Sherman said. “Students with skill sets in different areas within our department worked together to make this happen.”
Students began by meeting last fall with the “customer” – Superintendent Dan Mella – to discuss the scope and constraints of the project.
Engineering students in Greg Gritt’s classes then developed different 3D representations, presenting them to Mr. Mella for his feedback. Once a final design was selected, students created dimensioned drawings.
Advanced Metal Welding & Fabrication students under Mr. Sherman’s guidance took the drawings and ordered the materials necessary to build the structure.
During the fabrication process, students worked with district electrician Sam Schmitt to get power to the structure, which involved contacting Digger Hotline, local locating services, and M and M Excavating. M and M (partially owned and operated by two former Plymouth High School students, Andrew and Gabe Meyer) dug trenches for the power lines.
Students also worked with Tyler Luedtke of Marshall Sign on the lighted pawprint at the center of the structure. Mr. Luedtke, another former PHS student, also helped coordinate painting and weather protection.
The Building Construction class taught by Beau Biller then built concrete forms, calculated the amount of concrete needed, and helped finish the concrete anchors.
Greg Herzog, owner of LiftX and father of one of the students involved in the project, donated time and equipment to auger the holes for the structure and later explained proper rigging and helped erect the arch safely, so it could be anchored to the concrete.
Shortly before the school year ended, Building Construction students installed the brick veneer panels. Marshall Sign will be adding sponsor plaques to complete the project.
“I hope that students learned the different aspects of such a project and gained a better understanding of the process of taking something from design to completion,” Mr. Sherman said.
Learn more:
• Explore the Innovative Opportunities section of our interactive, award-winning District Report Card to learn more about how our state-of-the-art Science & Technology Center allows students to gain experience with all phases of the design process.
