Class Notes: Dade County students create 3-D replica of lake sturgeon for Tennessee Aquarium

A six-foot-long model of a Lake Sturgeon designed, 3-D printed and assembled by a trio of students at Dade County High School in Trenton, Georgia. The students presented their model to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, which will use the model to educate visitors about this state-endangered species. Photo credit: Casey Phillips / Tennessee Aquarium. Contributed Photo/Times Free Press
A six-foot-long model of a Lake Sturgeon designed, 3-D printed and assembled by a trio of students at Dade County High School in Trenton, Georgia. The students presented their model to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, which will use the model to educate visitors about this state-endangered species. Photo credit: Casey Phillips / Tennessee Aquarium. Contributed Photo/Times Free Press

Dade students create 3-D lake sturgeon replica

For the past three months, students at Dade County High School in Trenton, Georgia have been designing, printing and assembling a six-foot replica of a lake sturgeon for the the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute.

The process of creating the sturgeon has been an exercise in trial and error, said Nick Wilson, who teaches the school's advanced mechatronics class, in a statement.

In September, Wilson assigned three of his advanced mechatronics students - Logan Gordy, Dakota Angle and Taryn York - to head up the sturgeon build. Two other students, Caleb Munger and Basil Nakhleh, also contributed to the project. The students have been solely responsible for creating the model.

"We started with brainstorming the design of something organic, then learning new tools to use in the 3-D software along the way and trial and error on the assembly side of things," Wilson said in a statement. "All of this was an enormous task for the students."

Students used the school's four 3-D printers and spent more than 100 hours designing, printing and assembling the massive fish, which will be housed at the Conservation Institute's freshwater science center.

Skyuka Hall awarded $46,575 for STEM lab

Chattanooga independent school Skyuka Hall received a donation of $46,575 from the Vintage Car Rally Association last week to launch a STEM lab to enhance science, technology, engineering and math programs. The funds come from the nonprofit's annual Race4Autism, which raises money for schools that improve the lives of students with autism.

Skyuka Hall is a school designed for children with learning differences or disabilities and serves students who thrive from individualized learning experiences, according to a news release. This year, the school had to rush to find a new home after its former campus was damaged by a water leak.

"These funds for our STEM Lab will have such a profound impact not only on our students with autism but all of our students who we're preparing to lead successful lives," said Josh Yother, head of the school, in a statement. "Our environment allows students to develop academically, and this is a powerful contribution to help us achieve our mission."

Georgia dedicates $260,000 for rural arts education

Twenty rural school districts will be receiving grants from the Georgia Department of Education to create or expand students' access to arts and art education, state School Superintendent Richard Woods recently announced.

The state launched a broader Partnership for Rural Growth initiative that seeks to expand resources to public school districts in rural areas of the state.

"Fine arts education is not an 'extra' - it's a crucial part of a well-rounded education," Woods said in a statement. "We continue to hear from parents, teachers, administrators, and other supporters of public education that they want those expanded opportunities for their students. This is a top priority for us at the department, and we won't stop until every student in Georgia has access to high-quality arts education."

Individual schools in the 20 districts each received about $10,000 in stART grant funds.

Chattanooga State selects student ambassadors

Chattanooga State Community College recently selected 15 student ambassadors to help represent the college during admission, recruiting, orientation, and community events. Nine of the students are graduates of Hamilton County, including Central and Ooltewah high schools.

Student ambassadors are selected based on attributes such as enthusiasm about Chattanooga State, willingness to accept the time commitment required, collaboration, communication, dependability, flexibility and good academic and judicial standing, according to a news release.

The student ambassadors are McKenzie Bramlett, Britten Bryant, Alan Eady Jr., LaTerranique Ford, James Fry, Tyler Gentile, Noah Harris, Gabrielle Humble, Chelsea Isbill, Hayley McNeal, Tatum Morgan, Jordan Petty, Ester Ryabchuk, Savannah Stull, and Rachel Woodward.

If you have news about local schools you'd like to be included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.

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