Skyline Student Engineers Real-World Solution for School Kitchens

When ISD Food Services needed a replacement part for a commonly used Poly Bag Sealer, they turned to Skyline High School’s Intro to Engineering Design class, and sophomore Wing Lok (Jason) Wu delivered.

The broken component was a tape dispenser spool used daily in kitchen operations. Rather than ordering a replacement, Food Service Supervisor Brian Lisser brought the challenge to Skyline students as a real-world design opportunity.

“This project fit perfectly with our curriculum because students have learned the CAD skills to create almost any part imaginable, and they just learned about the concept of reverse engineering,” Skyline Engineering and Mechatronics Teacher Scott Newton said.

Wu took on the project, carefully modeling the spool in CAD (Computer Aided Design) and creating a 3D-printed prototype. After sending the first version to Food Services for testing and feedback, he refined the design and is now 3D printing five final replacement spools for use in school kitchens.

The project gave Wu the opportunity to apply technical skills in a meaningful way while contributing to the wider school community.

“I enjoyed it, it was nice doing a project for something ‘official!’ I’m glad I was able to help — it’s fun to model, so I don’t mind doing this type of thing!” Wu shared.

“The prototype is amazing and far exceeded my expectations,” Food Services Supervisor Brian Lisser said. “Having a student-designed prototype that we can use in our kitchens is incredibly valuable.”

Skyline’s engineering students have supported other district needs as well, including designing improved replacement parts for sliding glass doors at the district office.

This experience highlights what engineering education is all about: solving authentic problems and turning classroom learning into real-world impact.