Taking a step into Mr. Schwartz’ classroom/shop at Colfax High School is as awe-inspiring as Mr. Schwartz himself. The projects created and the intricacy with which they are done by him and his students is surreal. You may even think you are in an art gallery, a tool shop, or a game room. The prosthetic leg will probably cause you to question if this is even a high school classroom. Inside these walls, Mr. Schwartz encourages his students to learn, create and invent. The invention part takes us to a story that culminated recently in the granting of a Patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In the 2019/2020 school year, the above students and teachers (shout out to Mr. Kinsey who wasn’t available the day I visited campus to take a picture) submitted an application for a Grant through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). To receive the Grant, teams had to address a real- life problem and create a viable solution for that issue. The Colfax Team took the very concerning issue of wildfires in our area as their problem and went to work on how they could come up with a helpful tool to combat the hazards that fuel the wildfires. They recognized the need to make a tool that helps dispose of the materials left over when clear-cutting areas for fire prevention. They submitted their idea to MIT and received the Grant and hit the ground running...
Their time and efforts were spent determining how to design the tool, ensuring it was environmentally sound and efficient, working with chemistry teachers about combustible materials, and ultimately designing and building The EcoBurn .
MIT only chooses about 10 schools a year to receive the Grant.
Only a few projects receive a Patent.
Only one has gone on to market...
The EcoBurn
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