Jon Everingham, left, and Ryan Zimmerman, right, are two of the brains behind POLYWOOD Academy. POLYWOOD Academy is a collaboration between Pathways CTE Cooperative, POLYWOOD, Orthoworx and Purdue University IN-MaC.

Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Wawasee Community Schools has announced its latest addition to its Pathways CTE Cooperative menu of hands-on, career-focused experiences with POLYWOOD Academy.

Pathways CTE Cooperative currently offers 15 career and technical education programs, ranging from architecture to law to advanced manufacturing.

Pathways is a cooperative between Whitley County Consolidated Schools, Wawasee Community Schools and Fairfield Community Schools.

POLYWOOD Academy is the brainchild of Jon Everingham, CTE director; Ryan Zimmerman, vice president of human resources at POLYWOOD; Erin Serafino, talent coordinator at OrthoWorx; and Lisa Deck, program manager of Purdue University Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center.

“The POLYWOOD Academy’s Industrial Maintenance is a collaboration with Pathways CTE Cooperative, POLYWOOD, Orthoworx and Purdue University’s IN-MaC program,” Everingham explained. “This innovative program merges POLYWOOD industry expertise with Pathways’ forward-thinking educational approach, offering students a relevant manufacturing curriculum and hands-on experiences in industrial maintenance, robotics and engineering.”

Students enrolled in POLYWOOD Academy will participate in a two-year program. In year one, students will focus on curriculum designed to build practical skills and the application of theoretical understanding.

The curriculum includes the principles of advanced manufacturing, advanced manufacturing technology and industrial-electrical fundamentals.

In year two of the program, students will apply their knowledge of the curriculum by participating in an industrial electrical capstone, which is a paid internship through POLYWOOD.

“POLYWOOD is excited to develop this partnership with Pathways CTE to create POLYWOOD Academy powered by Pathways. Not only will this provide exposure to students on developments and advancements around advanced manufacturing, it will also provide them with a solid foundation of both technical and real world experience,” Zimmerman explained. “This experience will set them up for success for either directly enter the workforce in an advanced manufacturing role and/or continue their technical career education beyond high school.”

“This partnership underscores a shared commitment to empowering students by equipping them with essential academic, technical and professional skills for a successful future in the workplace. Working with an organization fully committed to supporting the students is always exciting,” Deck stated. “We are delighted to join forces with POLYWOOD and Pathways CTE Cooperative to create a transformative, educational experience that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace.”

Purdue University IN-MaC provides programs and services to enhance the talents and capabilities of Indiana’s current and future workforce by bridging connections between educators and industry leaders.

POLYWOOD Academy is set to open for the 2024-2025 academic school year. During the program’s inaugural year, the program will accept eight to 10 students. As the program grows, so will the class size.

Students will apply for the program and go through an interview process. The teacher for the program will be employed through Wawasee Community School Corporation, due to licensing and CTE funding. Polywood is supplementing the salary costs.

“The new POLYWOOD Academy is an opportunity to shape a new generation of manufacturing employees and ensures that students are well equipped for the challenges of the manufacturing employees and ensure that students are well-equipped for the challenges of the manufacturing landscape in Kosciusko County,” Everingham explained. “The POLYWOOD Academy provides a direct bridge from education to fulfilling, in-demand careers in the Wawasee-Syracuse community.”

For more information about POLYWOOD Academy or any other Pathways CTE Cooperative program, visit pathwayscte.com or contact Everingham via email at [email protected].

POLYWOOD employee, Jeremiah, demonstrates a machine, which POLYWOOD Academy students will learn about and be trained on. Pictured from left is Jon Everingham, Jeremiah, and Ryan Zimmerman.