Woodstock High School program touts engineering

WOODSTOCK – Claire Walsdorf’s decision to study architecture at the University of Illinois next year came down to shoes.

Specifically her tennis shoes.

Walsdorf’s shoe wore out at a certain point. As a project for her introduction to engineering design class, Walsdorf reverse engineered the shoe and tried to solve the problem of the worn sole.

“We built a removable sole to fix the problem,” Walsdorf said.

Walsdorf, 17, enjoyed the work so much – drawing the design for the shoe, trying to solve a problem – that she decided to pursue a career in architecture. The engineering class is part of the Project Lead the Way program at Woodstock High School. The program introduces students to engineering in high school, giving them a chance to explore a potential career path.

“Enrollment for engineering has been down drastically in the U.S.,” said Steve Thompson, a woodworking and metal working teacher who also is teaching some of the Project Lead the Way classes. “It has gotten to the point that people are coming from overseas to take these positions.”

Thompson said students with strong math skills had been trending toward careers in accounting and business for years.

Thompson said Project Lead the Way started in New York and since has expanded to about 3,000 schools nationwide, including 75 schools in Illinois.

“The need for engineers is a nationwide problem,” Thompson said.

Thompson said that one of the goals of the program was to link mathematics with the more practical construction aspect of being an engineer.

Woodstock High School has been part of Project Lead the Way for two years. Course offerings include introduction to engineering design, principles of engineering and digital electronics. In 2010 and 2011, courses will be added: Civil engineering and architecture, computer integrated manufacturing, and engineering design and development.

District 200 Superintendent Ellyn Wrzeski said the program helped prepare students for college engineering courses.

“Students can take math classes, but [without the program] they really don’t know what it means to be an electrical engineer,” Wrzeski said.

Walsdorf said that she always would love English and literature, but she decided to pursue a career in architecture largely because of her experience in the Project Lead the Way course.

“I really enjoyed the drawing and design part of the class,” Walsdorf said. “I think [the classes] are a really great start.”