Students across the district are presenting innovative projects
“As teenagers in the community, we would love to see the community shine.”
KEARNEY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN AUDREY HOLLAND
Kearney, Mo., May 9, 2021: Andrew Wilson wants to be a problem solver.
As the end of the school year approaches, scholars across Kearney School District are providing evidence of their hard work in class and the education they’ve gained. Aside from taking finals and state-mandated MAP and End-of-Course exams, they are demonstrating real-world skills and delivering tangible solutions that will help improve the entire community.
Mr. Wilson, a Kearney High School senior, believes the most important thing any student will learn is how to overcome challenges. He and his Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering classmates presented their capstone projects during a special event with Superintendent Matthew Miller and Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Kopp on May 5 at KHS.
“This kind of Real World Learning experience Is important because we’re learning problem-solving skills,” Andrew said. “Where ever we are in life, we’re going to encounter challenges. We’re always going to need these skills.”
Andrew’s PLTW challenge started with his district-issued Chromebook laptop case. It was annoyingly difficult to charge the device while it was in the case. He developed a prototype case with an extra-board charging port as a capstone project for teacher Shane Remley’s engineering class.
This year’s PLTW engineering class had to overcome the challenge of hybrid learning forced by COVID-19, which disrupted the student collaboration that normally occurs, according to Mr. Remley. The students identified and analyzed problems, researched any solutions that are currently available, developed innovations and crafted a prototype.
“We were basically able to get through the design process,” he said. “These students have pulled through and got the work done.”
Other ideas presented by Remley’s classes included:
- Tent rain-fly embedded with solar panels
- Biodegradable face mask
- Foldable house for homeless people and refugees
- Website to suggest what to watch based on personal preferences
- Portable cup heater
- Highly protective phone case that’s also easy to remove
- Merry-Go-Round playground equipment for children with disabilities
- Microchip to track packages
- Backpack with built-in camp chair
This focus on student-built solutions extends to Kearney Junior High School. On May 7, ninth-graders in English teacher Alli Baldwin’s classes presented their ideas for increasing tourism to a panel of VIPs, including Kearney Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacie Bratcher, Kearney Area Development Council Executive Director Shawna Searcy and Kearney Enrichment Council Executive Director Kurt Hamilton.
Avery Plummer pitched her idea for a monthly music festival in Kearney.
“I’ve lived here my whole life and I want to stay here. I went with this because of my own love of music,” she said. “This will bring the community together for a fun family evening and support local musicians.”
Other concepts presented by the KJHS students included opening a Department of Motor Vehicles branch, a park designed for dogs with disabilities, and a pickle ball and food truck venue, among others.
These solutions developed by KHS and KJHS students join a long list of similar projects shared this spring by scholars at LENS and in the high school’s biomedical engineering program, agriculture education program and Real World Learning initiative. It’s all evidence that young people are invested in the future of Kearney, according to ninth-grader Audrey Holland.
“As teenagers in the community, we would love to see the community shine,” she said.