Robots at Clearbrook-Gonvick School

Students at Clearbrook-Gonvick High School have been treated by their instructors James Bettin and Ross Faldet to new career information. A mobile manufacturing lab which has been at the corner of the school lot had a variety of equipment for the students. 

Murray Turner, an executive director at Pine to Prairie Cooperative Center in Red Lake Falls applied for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education to educate school staff on how to promote career  guidance information to their students. He received $900,000 and half will go to school districts in the north west part of Minnesota. 

Murray Turner retired and  the new Pine to Prairie director is Tom Leuthner. The transition is being made and Tom is heading up the project.

The point of the project is to get students interested in manufacturing careers. That one does not need to have a four year degree to make a good living. There is a real need to have students prepared in the technology field.

The equipment was hauled to the school in a trailer and put up in a classroom. The equipment included computers, air compressor and work stations.

Andrew Dahlen, Electronics Instructor at Northland Community and Technical College spent three days with James Bettin getting him acquainted with the equipment.

SMC is the manufacturer of the equipment that specializes in pneumatic control engineering to support industrial automation. Robots that can repeat a movement over and over again such as moving a ball bearing from one point to another or a paper cup. 

The first week of school Clearbrook-Gonvick students were programming some simple tasks with the help of Dahlen and Bettin. 

The technology lab will be at the school for 5 or 6 weeks when it will be replace by welding simulator under the direction of Ross Faldet. 

Both trailers are meant to bring awareness of manufacturing and build their confidence to pursue that as a career.