Opelika Middle School: Young Entrepreneurs Academy and Project Lead the Way

Every now and then teachers have those days where they can see the light bulbs turning on in their students’ heads and connections between “real-life” and school are made.  It is those days that teachers strive for, and it is those days that get teachers through the days where nothing goes as planned.  In my current role as Curriculum Coordinator and Career Technical Director, I am not delivering instruction on a daily basis so I do not get to have those days with students anymore.  However, there are occasions where I get to share in those experiences when teachers have them.  One of those occasions occurred when Ms. Clarinda Jones, Opelika Middle School’s “Young Entrepreneurs Academy” teacher, collaborated with Ms. Melanie Montel, Opelika Middle School’s “Project Lead the Way” teacher, to allow their students the opportunity to mimic a situation that occurs every day throughout our community. 

Ms. Jones' student had been working on his business idea in the YEA class at OMS for many months and was getting ready to present his idea to a panel of investors.  He was given the opportunity to work with a student in the PLTW class who had been learning to design and model in 3D using AutoDesk Inventor.  I watched these two students who had different skill sets discuss the dimensions and shape of the "T-Bone Slider".  The final step in this process came when Mr. Josh Lackey was brought into the situation to teach the students how to take the 3D design and put it into the 3D printer software so it could be printed.  In two class days, I watched two 8th grade students work together like so many of our community members do to design and create a prototype of an idea.  It was truly one of those teaching moments where I couldn't stop smiling. 

We like to say that we are preparing students for their lives after school.  After watching how these teachers collaborated in order to provide their students with an authentic "real world" experience, I could not think of a profession, school system, or community I would rather be working and living in.  I truly believe Opelika is a great place to work, live, and raise a family. 

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