Celebrating CTE Month: Pre-Engineering at Crescent Valley High School

Our latest highlight for Career and Technical Education Month takes us inside the Pre-Engineering Program at Crescent Valley High School, and Adam Kirsch’s IDEA and DREAM classes. 

IDEA Class

In the IDEA class, students are taught design and problem-solving skills. Digital designs in Illustrator are printed on laser engravers, UV printers, and CNC machines. Students also learn 3D modeling and 3D printing. As their skills grow, they can take on larger projects and solve more complex problems using the tools they have learned. 

Students recently practiced 3D modeling by following instructions to create a cup. Part of the lesson is understanding that this is not just about aesthetics, but design for manufacturing. Students must ensure their digital models are precise enough for others to replicate during fabrication. By understanding the “why” behind a design before moving into Woodshop or Metals, students become intuitive engineers who understand the entire product lifecycle.

Real Projects for the Crescent Valley Campus

While some students focus on 3D design, others are busy in the shop building improvements for the Crescent Valley campus.

• Art Classroom Upgrades: Students are crafting custom tabletops by bonding wood planks to masonite boards.
• Commemorating Championship: A custom display board is in progress to honor the 2022 Baseball Team’s 5A OSAA State Championship. This project combines UV-printed photography, precision-cut wood, and protective plexiglass.

DREAM Class

These students take the skills they have gained in previous years and apply them to large-scale community needs. A current project is the refurbishment of the Solar-Powered Crescent Valley sign at the school’s entrance. The original sign was a DREAM-designed project, but the lighting system recently failed. Students are assessing the old system, gathering data, testing components, and redesigning the solar-powered circuitry in real time to ensure the new system is both consistent and efficient.

Preparing for the Future

To bridge the gap between school and career, students are currently preparing for their SolidWorks Certification, an industry-standard credential in 3D modeling. By combining technical certification with projects that have a direct community impact, we are preparing our students for the complex problem-solving they will encounter as future engineers.

Learn more about our CTE programs here: Career & Technical Education (CTE)