Goshen High School Principal Barry Younghans highlighted two GHS programs during the school board meeting Monday night, Jan. 12, that demonstrate how Goshen prepares students for college and a career.

J.J. Johnson, an engineering technology teacher at the high school, explained to the board how a couple of the school’s students were featured in newspapers across the country for using a 3D printer to help a fellow student. The students developed and made a piece using a 3D printer that could be installed on the student’s gait trainer to keep her backpack from swinging and causing a bar to come down on her gait trainer and hit her legs. How students are using the 3D printers at school, though, goes beyond that, he said.

“Last year,” when Johnson first brought 3D printers into the classroom, “the kids worked non-stop with them,” he said.

John Olafson, J.J. Johnson, Steve Wygant

He also introduced John Olafson and Steve Wygant of SeeMeCNC, a local company that produces 3D printers, thanking them for their involvement with GHS. Johnson said he often contacts them about how to do certain things. They said too that they also contact him about projects and ideas they have for 3D printers in the classroom.

“What these gentlemen are producing now and the ability we have to do these things in education is blowing my mind,” Johnson said. “The level of motivation from the students is something I’ve never had before and the fact that I can integrate this into the curriculum into anywhere, any class is phenomenal.”

Johnson, the school board and administrators honored Olafson and Wygant for their 3D printing expertise and support of 3D printing at Goshen High School.

Younghans also had the high school’s IB coordinator, Theresa Collins, speak about the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at GHS. Through IB, students can take individual IB courses or pursue a full IB diploma, earning up to a full year of college credit. The courses also instill higher-level thinking in students and, especially for students pursuing the full diploma, an emphasis on community service.

Collins said that she continually hears about GHS IB graduates starting out at college as sophomores or IB students being more able to take on an intense schedule in school.

The school’s IB program continues to grow. This year, Goshen High School will have 18 full IB diploma candidates and 182 students scheduled to take 365 individual IB subject exams. The class of 2015 has 29 full diploma candidates.

“I’m happy to say I think IB is really thriving at Goshen High School,” Collins told the board.