Middle School Students Gain Real-World Manufacturing Experience

Real-world experience matters, and it’s important for students at all levels.

Students in Mr. Whittington’s middle school manufacturing foundation II class have been simulating running a manufacturing business. In this second level course the class has been formed into a company self named "South Park Shop Co."  

The student-run company has a president, vice president, materials manager, quality control manager, safety supervisor, and human resources manager.  These students run the company every day, assign jobs, make decisions and assess product quality.  Everyone else (including Mr. Whittington) is an employee in the company running equipment ranging from table and miter saws to sanders and CNC machines.  

In the past, this class has produced cutting boards and coasters. This year the class took on the ambitious task of a multipurpose holder stand that can be used to hold toothbrushes, pens, pencils, or other items. Their goal is to produce 50 of these matching units that are all within their quality control standards established at the start of the class.

During the lead up to this project all students in the class generated product ideas, reviewed material requirements, assessed costs of production, developed a flow process for production, as well as a company logo and product name.

Through this project, students are learning workplace skills, such as working with others and managing a business, as well as applying math and engineering in their product designs and quality control fixtures. The managers of the class have gained experience producing quality products while managing human factors, skill levels, and employee happiness. Students who are the employees have learned to work together and communicate with management.

The students in the class hope to finish their production run on or around the first week of May.  They will then assess company profit/loss and what everyone's individual hourly salary breaks down to be. Additionally they will discuss other challenges and success from running their business.