LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Students involved in the Independence Academy, a Lincoln Public Schools program for students up to age 21 with disabilities, are showing that with a little hard work, talent and guidance, anything is possible as they take on a new course in precision machinery.
The six students in the course are learning how to operate machinery, read blueprints and build tools. Cnc Spare Parts
It’s the inaugural semester for the course. The students’ special education teachers and the students themselves are guided by an experienced instructor, Kevin Dunkle.
“It was all so new, but just seeing the students watch Kevin, they quickly caught on and you could see their confidence grow,” Emily Nathan a special education teacher with LPS said.
That support and enthusiasm helped the students soar to new heights, and exceed expectations.
“It is actually very hard to begin with but also along with that, once I figure something out, it’s just so amazing,” Weston Elrod, a student said. “To the point of where I feel like I get to learn it and it sticks in my brain.”
The art of precision machining is a process that shapes large material, like plastics, steel and other metals into smaller bits and pieces.
“We learned the tape measures, with all these numbers like one half, one fourth and one sixth.” Elvis Vo, a student said.
Throughout the course, students have made hammers and dice, customized with the ‘Independence Academy’ logo.
The class is helping them bolster their skills so they can enter the workforce one day.
“I’ve never heard students talk about I want to be a machinist, I want to do precision machinery, I want to work at Kawasaki, I want to do welding,” Nathan said. “They just seem really excited to be able to do it and you can see how hard they work when they’re in there.”
And the students know they’re taking away lifelong skills.
“It can help you out in the future in case if you want to build something by using the mill, you can go back and figure out how to use it.” Weston said.
Throughout the semester, the students have also been working on interviewing skills. When class is over, they’ll be eligible to earn a certificate in precision machine, which will no doubt help increase their job opportunities after graduation.
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