Middle Schoolers Skate Toward Career-Readiness

Grade 8 Design and Technology students in Bloomfield Hills Schools are piloting “Goneboarding” this year, a project-based program designed to bolster the STEAM curriculum and strengthen career readiness. This spring, teachers and students at SHMS and NHMS are tackling the skateboard module.

Throughout the program, students engage in the full engineering design cycle starting with raw wooden planks, with the end goal of building fully functional skateboards. This hands-on experience allows students to master specialized tools, vacuum bonding, and sanding while applying mathematical calculations and artistic design. “I thought it was satisfying to sand - we used the sanding machines and it was done in one class,” said Leo Doerr (grade 8, SHMS.)

Although skateboarding isn’t everyone’s hobby, this project gives students a different lens by which to be artistic or adventurous. Tyler Simon (grade 8, SHMS) designed his board with his culture in mind, painting red scarves, Mount Fuji, and including his name in Japanese. Although admittedly not an avid painter, Simon explained, “Painting is more fun and creative than printing something.” Simon’s classmate, Eli Calhoun (grade 8, SHMS), painted his board to look like a golf course and shared, “I don’t skateboard, but I’ll try. I play golf a lot. Most of my time goes into golf.”

Beyond construction, students are researching related career paths in action sports, such as packaging, engineering, graphic design, and marketing. “We were drawn to Goneboarding for its rare ability to weave cross-curricular academics into a tangible, high-interest project. Our long-term goal is to inspire students by highlighting the direct connection between their academic passions and future career opportunities,” explained Jessica Stage, Technology Integration Specialist & SCECH Coordinator.

After gluing the raw board planks together, vacuum sealing them until dry, tracing their chosen shape, sending offsite for cutting (done at OTSC), sanding the edges, drilling holes, painting the bottom or using modge podge to adhere a printout design, attaching grip paper to the top, and adding trucks and wheels, the skateboards will be done and ready to take home!