grandview high school

CAS E ST U DY
GRANDVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
Educating the engineers of tomorrow with SolidWorks Education Edition
Using SolidWorks Education Edition software,
grandview High School techn ology and
Computer science students have enjoyed
remarkable success at national design and
engineering competitions.
As in most US high schools, Grandview High School’s Technology and Computer Science
Department used to focus on 2D drafting. However, unlike many schools, this suburban high
school had educators who foresaw that designers and engineers—not drafters—will win the
technology jobs of the 21st century and that their calling card will be 3D.
Challenge:
So after years of teaching drafting classes using AutoCAD® 2D software, the technical
educators at Grandview High School decided to investigate 3D CAD technology. One of six
high schools in the Cherry Creek School District south of Denver, Colorado, Grandview had
its first brush with 3D with Autodesk Inventor® software during the 2003–2004 school year.
But according to Department Coordinator Jay E. Moore, the faculty did not find that solution
to be user-friendly or its curriculum to be flexible.
Solution:
Make sure high school students are prepared for
college and careers in design, engineering, and
technology.
Implement SolidWorks Education Edition software
in the school’s Technology and Computer Science
Department.
Results:
• Increased enrollment in technology classes
“I was attending the ITEEA (International Technology and Engineering Educators Association)
Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, when I came across SolidWorks®,” Moore recalls. “It was
my first real introduction to 3D. I found the software to be user-friendly and very intuitive.
Within moments, I was using SolidWorks and realizing how beneficial it could be for our kids.”
His colleagues back at Grandview agreed, and the school implemented SolidWorks Education
Edition software for the 2005–2006 academic year. Since then, the solution has had a
positive impact at Grandview. Enrollment in technology classes has grown. Other high
schools in the Cherry Creek school district have adopted SolidWorks software and the
Grandview curriculum, and Grandview has enjoyed success at national design and engineering
competitions, including the 2011 Technology Student Association (TSA) CAD Championship.
By 2012, more than 1,500 SolidWorks licenses were active throughout the Cherry Creek
school district, including some at its middle schools.
“The effectiveness and sophistication of our program took a big turn for the better when we
standardized on SolidWorks,” Moore stresses. “Many students that come out of our program
go on to excel at some of the most demanding engineering schools in the country. The
decision to move to SolidWorks has improved our program tremendously.”
• Certified SolidWorks skills for over 100
students
• Produced TSA national CAD champion and
several top ten finalists
• Introduced simulation technology to high
school students
Creating a 3D curriculum
“WITH SOLIDWORKS, WE CAN
A major contributor to Grandview’s success was the ease and flexibility with which its
technical educators could introduce SolidWorks software and create a vibrant curriculum.
The school uses the software in its Technical Drawing; Engineering Design; Senior Design;
Technical Education I, II, and III; and Robotics and Technology classes, combining engineering
design, 3D design and woodworking, and introductory CNC machining.
DO MORE HANDS-ON DESIGN
“With SolidWorks, we can do more hands-on design with real-world projects, which keeps
our students interested and learning,” Moore notes. “We continue to push the curriculum
forward and have added simulation technology to the mix. Now, students can model a
design in SolidWorks, then run stress analyses, aerodynamic flow simulations, and even use
SolidWorks Sustainability software to estimate the carbon footprint of their designs.”
WITH REAL-WORLD PROJECTS,
WHICH KEEPS OUR STUDENTS
INTERESTED AND LEARNING.”
Jay E. Moore
Technology and Computer Science
Department Coordinator
“SolidWorks really drives our curriculum,” adds Alan Ridlund, a teacher in the department. “I
can’t imagine teaching the curriculum that we teach without SolidWorks.”
Certifying student CAD skills
The Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) and Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP)
programs are not just for teachers at Grandview. Over 100 Grandview students have earned
CSWA certification and a handful has even passed the more difficult CSWP examination.
“We’ve added certification into our curriculum,” explains Rob Combs, a teacher in the
department. “This has enabled us to add depth and support tie-ins to our manufacturing
machinery resources. SolidWorks has advanced our program and empowered our students.
We even had one student who obtained a teaching assistant position to teach SolidWorks
during his first year at college.”
2011 TSA national CAD champion
SolidWorks knowledge also helped students pursue opportunities to compete in design
competitions. Former Grandview student Brent Last, who went on to study at the Colorado
School of Mines, was a freshman when he first learned SolidWorks software, a junior
when he earned his CSWP certification, and a senior when he won the TSA National CAD
Championship in 2011.
The competition required students to create a 3D CAD model of an object within a specified
time. Last not only successfully created the model in SolidWorks CAD, he also ran a
SolidWorks Motion study to determine torque in the main screw, conducted a stress analysis
on the base of the part, and then created an animation of his results.
“I like SolidWorks because it’s easy to use and allows you to really visualize, simulate, and
study your design,” Last says.
Grandview High School
20500 E. Arapahoe Rd.
Aurora, CO 80016 USA
Phone: +1 720 886 6500
www.ghs.ccsd.k12.co.us
VAR: Career and Technical Training (CATT), LLC,
Windsor, CO, USA
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation. All other product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective owners. ©2012 Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved. MKGRACSENG1112
Grandview High School graduate Brent Last, shown
at left with Technology and Computer Science
Department Coordinator Jay E. Moore, used
SolidWorks to win the 2011 Technology Student
Association (TSA) National CAD Championship.
Dassault Systèmes
SolidWorks Corporation
175 Wyman Street
Waltham, MA 02451 USA
Phone: 1 800 693 9000
Outside the US: +1 781 810 5011
Email: info@solidworks.com
www.solidworks.com