$14K donation boosts Solon school industrial tech, robotics programs

SOLON — A nonprofit in Solon donated $14,000 last month to help support the industrial technology and robotics programs in the Solon school district.

The donation from Fore Solon will go to the expanded — middle school industrial technology program and the middle and high school robotics clubs.

“I’m not doing what I thought I was going to do coming out of high school,” Solon industrial technology teacher JJ Cooper said. “If you can get (students) exposed to it, a kid might discover they like welding or building or electrical or plumbing.”

The district this year launched an exploratory — or elective class — where sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders explore their interests in industrial technology, including manufacturing, welding, construction and engineering.

Middle school students will learn about tools, how to use them and how to measure properly, Cooper said.

Students also can continue to explore industrial technology instruction at Solon High School, where a program was launched about five years ago. The high school offers eight classes in industrial technology including architecture, engineering and construction material processing.

In a class called Introduction to Advanced Concept Engineering, students learn how to use hand tools by building a tic-tac-toe board.

In another class, students learn skills by building wooden candy dispensers. They also can make kitchen cutting boards, a bench or step stool, coasters and other items that their families may have received as holiday gifts last month.

Cooper hopes the Solon district continues expanding the industrial technology program, including adding classrooms suited to the trades. Right now, Cooper’s classroom is situated between two language arts classes, which is “not ideal” when students are using power tools, he said.

Cooper said he enjoys watching students’ “comfort and confidence” grow in the classroom and would some day like to add residential construction to the program.

Robotics program

Solon robotics coach Bill Mattaliano has been coaching Solon’s robotics team since 2009. His two sons have gone through the program, including one who will graduate in May. Thirty-five students in sixth- to 12th- grade are on the robotics team this year.

Every year, students design, build and program a robot for competitions. The robots are programmed for tasks such as stacking blocks or sorting colors and patterns, Mattaliano said.

The school competes through a program called FIRST Robotics Competition, in which teams of students are challenged to design, build and program robots and compete for awards. Mattaliano said the students raise about $5,000 annually for program costs.

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