On Thursday, Jan. 31, students from Principles of Business, Marketing and Finance and BIM II presented their prototype window-covers to the teachers and students of the district.
After the recent shootings in schools across the country, teacher Brenda Spain asked her students to create a window-cover to protect classrooms in the case of an emergency.
“I realized we needed something to cover our windows for drills or lockdowns,” Spain said. “These covers prevent intruders from seeing inside the classrooms, so that hopefully they will not know if anyone is in there. That’s the goal.”
The students were divided into 14 teams to design and produce their prototypes.
“We ended up with all different materials and designs,” Spain said. “The 14 groups went through a preliminary elimination review and then got it narrowed down to the 9 best designs. As teachers come in to see the showcase, they will choose the three they would like to use in their classrooms.”
Ibaka Industries, a student group consisting of seniors Jesse Jones, Emma Havrilka, and junior Gabby Bennett, were at the event presenting their product.
“Our window covering is cloth,” Bennett said. “We lined it with Velcro, and the other side of the Velcro will attach to the door. When it’s not in use, it ties at the top with a string.”
Cullen Patterson, project manager of his group, had a different idea.
“It came to me in the shower,” Patterson said. “Our window covering is like a shower curtain. To keep it out of the way when teachers don’t need it, it pushes to the side and ties with a ribbon.”
The student’s work will hopefully become more than just a school project.
“Once the teachers have picked their top three,” Spain said, “We’re going to try to find some way to get them manufactured.”
