When Assistant Physical Therapist Kim Gruppen couldn’t find the right steps to practice skills with her elementary students, she turned to the Jenison High School construction program and they delivered.
The sets she looked at in the market weren’t mobile and were too large for the small office areas she works in. Furthermore, the stairs cost more than $1,400 to order plus shipping, Gruppen said.
So she reached out to Industrial Arts CTE Teacher Chris Battle and his students came up with the perfect solution. They developed wooden stairs that fold in and out so students can practice different heights and squats. They also are easy to store and move between buildings.
The stairs were delivered more than a month ago and her students have been using them regularly to practice balance, walking, stair climbing, and jumping, Gruppen said.
Julie Roby, director of student services for Jenison Public Schools, said the collaboration within the district saved her department money and provided a custom solution for their needs.
“This is a great example of ‘we work together so kids do better’ in our district,” Roby said.
Keegan Kroon, a junior with significant construction class experience already, brought the project to the finish line last fall. Giving back to a district that has given him so much made the stairs job extra special.
“It feels really good,” he said.
Battle said the stairs were the perfect service project for Kroon, a chance to apply what he has learned and put his own individual stamp on something that serves a bigger purpose.
“They are using the skills and the things we taught,” he said.