Wood shop modernized

COLDWATER - A Coldwater Middle School teacher was able to modernize her wood shop with state-of-the-art 3-D printers, a router, table saw and other equipment thanks to a $15,000 grant.

Coldwater Middle School was one of seven Ohio schools to receive an America's Farmers Grow Rural Education grant. The program aims to help enhance science, technology, engineering and math curricula at public schools.

School board members learned of the award at their regular meeting on Tuesday.

Three local farmers nominated the district for the grant. That's when middle school STEM teacher Maggie Rismiller and district treasurer Jenn McCoy teamed up to write a grant application that centered on modernizing Rismiller's makers' skills class. All eighth-graders not in band take the STEM-based course for a trimester, she said.

Their application was successful, snagging $15,000 to purchase badly needed shop equipment, both traditional and progressive, including a CNC router, two 3-D printers, a table saw, a 3-D scanner, clamps, a glue gun and other items.

"We got a new laser CNC router that can carve things up to 48 inches long," Rismiller said. "We ordered two new 3-D printers … all great things that our students can use to make their ideas."

Prior to winning the grant, Rismiller said she often had to tell students they couldn't make certain things because of the lack of tools.

That's not the case anymore, as Rismiller at Tuesday's school board meeting introduced some students, such as Trent Ebbing, and showed their projects. Ebbing used the CNC router, table saw and other tools to make a cutting saw emblazoned with the words "Ebbing Show Cattle."

"It's been pretty awesome to see that they can actually come up with these ideas and now make them," Rismiller enthused.

Board members recognized the three local farm families in attendance who nominated the district - Tom and Linda Boeckman, John and Rita Schmitmeyer and Joe Rose.

Down the road, Rismiller said she would like to get more tools and perhaps launch a shop club that would take orders from the community.

"It's just really neat to see kids who may not typically be interested in shop come in and learn something, especially the girls who are so afraid of the saw when you turn it on the first time," Rismiller said. "And a lot of the girls excel far beyond some of the guys because they're just so much pickier."

Some students have never had the opportunity to work a saw and think they're incapable of doing so until shown that they can indeed create using the tool, she said.

Rismiller said her ultimate goal is that students begin making items for themselves rather than buying them online.

Middle school principal Dan Pohlman applauded Rismiller for the initiative.

"She's a great teacher, and we're very, very blessed to have her in our district," he said.

America's Farmers, sponsored by the Bayer Fund, is focused on strengthening rural America through three community outreach programs that partner with farmers to make an impact in communities where farmers live and work.