What is a Forge? By Kelly Schieb

Here at Village Tech Schools students can be seen cutting geometric shapes with a Glowforge laser, sewing ironed layers of a surgical cap, and pouring resin over a table of painted plaster skulls.  Students of all grades can be found in design and creation work, FORGING or making throughout the campus.  How are these experiences valuable to the education of today’s students?

DESIGN as a core value is the process of integrating mindsets that help to develop creative action.  Teachers and students use their grade level content and the world around them to design authentic learning experiences.  The catalyst that creates curiosity, that ignites interest and passion in our students is called a SPARK.  Our students work with teachers and Forge staff to understand the EMPATHY of their spark, to DEFINE the need, and then engage in IDEATION sessions to flex, grow and mold each challenge.

Design thinking challenges can present as artifacts, mini challenges, or larger scale challenges that sometimes result in Legacy Projects.  These are projects that continue to benefit students and community beyond that school year.  Within this process, students engage to CREATE beautiful work and ultimately have that moment of insight and learning where deep connections are made that extend within them.  This culminating process we call FUSE helps students to create lasting memories and strong connections to their learning.

Forging is a collective effort across campus, a synergistic effort that relies on the varied skills and talents of all our community members.  Recognizing our collective need for each other makes us stronger and more equipped to solve real world problems.  Step by step iterations and preservation of the learning process is also essential as we embrace failure and prototyping as a regular experience.  This is documented and maintained in classroom SHIELDS.  

Presenting and demonstration of student work is essential in this process and all students participate in a grade-level POL or Presentation of Learning as well as an EOL or Exhibition of Learning called MOSAIC.  Students show how they’ve participated in integrated design challenges, and use intentional language to document, display, and describe their experience.

In our maker space at Village Tech, we are continually expanding the ways our students can create.  Currently you can find Glowforge laser cutters, a large scale CNC cutting machine, a woodworking shop, poster printers, 3D printing machines, Cricut and Silhouette cutting machines, sewing machines including a serger, a T-shirt press, cameras and audio/video equipment, a variety of painting, drawing, and clay supplies, clay spinning wheels, and soon to come are clay and glass kilns.

Forge is a verb we take seriously at Village Tech Schools.  We are always expanding and growing the range of tools students can use to create their beautiful work as well as welcoming professionals with a variety of skill sets to collaborate in student learning.