Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Northeast Tech among state DOE grant recipients
Virtual welders, flight simulators, electric car kits and more will soon be coming to local school districts through recent grants from the state.
The South Dakota Department of Education recently awarded more than $3 million in Career and Technical Education innovative equipment grants, according to a news release from the state. Eight of the grant recipients were from eastern South Dakota including the ATEC in Aberdeen; Northeast Technical High School in Watertown and the Sioux Falls CTE Academy.
Aberdeen received a $189,049 to purchase multiple Switch Vehicles. ATEC Director Scott Pudwill said Switch Vehicles are an electric car kit where the end product drives like a car, but without side panels, giving it a dune buggy look.
Pudwill said he's been looking for a way to incorporate electric vehicles into the curriculum.
Aberdeen is one of two grants specifically awarded for the purchase of Switch Vehicles. Dell Rapids received $129,938 for the addition of Switch Vehicles to their Information Technology program. Sturgis Brown High School in Meade is also developing a hybrid program combining robotics and manufacturing. One of the components includes the use of Switch Vehicle. Sturgis Brown received a $174,442 grant award.
Additional grant awards in the Aberdeen area include:
$236,522 to Groton Area High School to purchase a Syndaver synthetic cadaver and a nursing simulator.
$181,454 to Webster Area High School to build an industrial food service lab equipped with commercial food service equipment.
Northeast Technical adding virtual reality welders, desktop mill, CNC machine simulator
In Watertown, a $249,496 grant will be used for several new pieces of equipment at Northeast Technical High School. The new equipment includes a VRTEX virtual reality welding training simulator, Haas desktop mill machines and CNC machining simulators.
Bert Falak, principal and superintended at Northeast Technical said the virtual reality welding simulators will go hand-in-hand with the welding program at the school and gives students the ability to feel like they're holding a torch in their hand. While it won't replace welding, he said, it will help students when it comes to learning new welds or fine tuning the process on a particularly challenging weld.
But, Falak said, he's more excited about the desktop mill machines and the CNC simulators. Eight of each will be purchased, according to his grant application. The equipment not only allows for more comprehensive education when it comes to advanced machining courses, but, according to Falak's grant application, it will provide the capability for new courses like introduction to CNC.
Sioux Falls CTE Academy adding flight simulators
A $249,081 grant to the Sioux Falls CTE Academy will allow for the purchase of three Reconfigurable Training Device Frasca flight simulators, which will not only expose students to the aviation field, but can allow students to start earning flight hours sooner.
Laureen Mehlert, aviation instructor for the CTE Academy said she's excited about bringing this opportunity to the students. While students have had a computer flight simulator available for several years, Mehlert said these are professional level simulators that would be available at flight school.
Tea Area will also be expanding its STEM programming with the addition of aviation simulators with a $118,702 grant from the Department of Education.
In Harrisburg, $250,000 will be used to partner with a local landscape company to build a professional greenhouse aligned with urban farming and landscape operations. The greenhouse will include a FarmBot and hydroponics.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Northeast Tech among state DOE grant recipients
