Students And Companies Work Together While Learning

Oskaloosa High School students present their findings to Cablevey on Friday.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – In the past few weeks, Oskaloosa High School students and area companies have been working together. For the students, they are getting an opportunity to work real-life problems, and provide a solution to an area company. The company then gets the opportunity to implement those suggestions, in part, fully, or not at all.

In years past, students have provided insight into problems that have helped area companies save thousands of dollars. A group of OHS students presented to Cablevey Conveyors this week, providing some unique insight in a process.

Scott Berning, who leads up product testing with Cablevey Conveyors, worked with the students during the process and explained that the students worked with product testing. “So the solutions that they [students] are giving are going to make my job easier. It’s helping me understand my job, my new position better. Working with them is great. They are great kids.”

The students examine the problem with a fresh perspective, one that isn’t tainted by any preconceived notions. Berning added, ” a fresh set of minds on anything is going to give a new perspective. They [students] dove right into it.”

The employees were encouraged to be “a little bit hands off and let them do their thing and not lead them to a solution.”

One of those solutions the students developed was communications and interaction between the sales staff and the customers, while making the documents more efficient.

Berning said that he’s more than happy to host another group of students, and are considering hosting two groups of students next year.

Oskaloosa High School Principal Stacy Bandy spoke to the gathered group for the presentation. He explained that the students are picked for the three different teams that worked with various businesses recently.

Of the more than 660 students at the high school, 100 random names were chosen from a computer. “That 100 random names went down on a sheet and that sheet out to teachers, and I said pick 5, and give me one name that’s not on there [sheet] that you feel we should give a chance.”

The students that are chosen are not exclusively the top percentile of the student body. “I’m not just wanting my TAG team,” added Bandy, who said he is looking for “average joe kid top to bottom, and everybody in between.”

The process that the students use is also taught to the teachers at the high school. “Those teachers are also using these tools with those kids,” added Bandy.

The process teaches students to put all the skills they have learned in school, into an everyday environment.

In our earlier interview with Rob Taylor, who has been bringing the program to Oskaloosa for the past several years, shared about the Iowa Quality Center Student TEAMS Program; TEAMS stands for Teen, Evaluating, Analyzing and Measuring Systems.

“It’s problem-solving, it’s critical thinking and how to improve systems,” explained Taylor.

Beyond those classroom skills, “We’re using team building skills even,” added Taylor. “That’s a key point. It’s easy, everybody likes to be the problem solver, but to do it in a team, it helps to have some tools and some structure to come together with those ideas.”

The program finished up three successful presentations to the three participating companies. The program looks towards next year to build upon the success of this year’s participants.