Photo from Oakley Van Oss / Summit High School
For Summit High School teacher Oakley Van Oss, education is about giving students the tools to improve the world around them literally.
In his construction technology and welding classes, Van Oss lets students take reins on various hands-on projects.
“To give kids the opportunity to have their first experience creating projects and fabricating, I feel like is just giving them this lifelong potential of making their own personal space and their own world better,” Van Oss said. “They can solve problems, fix things and create things, which is really fun.”
About five years ago, then-Principal Drew Adkins and one of the district’s maintenance workers approached Van Oss who taught Spanish and social studies at the time about creating a welding class for students to learn the trade.