Innovations in Education

Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing

FAME’s Advanced Manufacturing Student Award – Contribute today!

SAME 2021 – Glad to be back!

The Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME) program ran for 3 weeks in July at the Wayne Technical and Career Center (WTCC) and Monroe BOCES 2 WEMOCO. Students who successfully completed the SAME program earned 3 dual credits from Monroe Community College.

Seventeen SAME students at the Wayne Technical and Career Center (WTCC) toured FAME partners Harbec, Optimax and OptiPro (photos below). SAME instructors at WTCC were Jason Johnston and Kelly Paladino. There were also nine SAME students at the Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center (FLTCC). Students toured GW Lisk and Mini Tech; Dan Bradley was the SAME instructor at the FLTCC location. Earl DeLong and members of the Sheet Metal Worker’s Union #46 also visited the center and instructed the students on a flower metal project. For more photos, visit www.waynetechcenter.org/same

On the western side of Monroe County, Monroe BOCES 2 WEMOCO hosted twenty-three students and has put together a terrific video featuring their summer experience and the skills they learned! Check out the video today at the following link:  BOCES 2 WEMOCO SAME 2021

SAME 2019 – Hats off to another successful year!

Congratulations to all of the 2019 SAME graduates! Offered via two regional BOCES in July this year (Monroe 2 BOCES and Wayne FL BOCES), the program continues to grow and thrive! Students in 8th -10th grade toured the following companies: Advanced Atomization Technologies; Global Packaging Systems; Harbec; Optimax Systems; OptiPro Systems; Progressive Machine and Design. Students get hands-on experience in manufacturing and welding, while earning credits at MCC.

Monroe 2 BOCES develops Photonics Lessons and Kits for use in Grades 6-12!

Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES has developed photonics lessons and kits for use in the public education system (grades 6-12).  Instead of fitting photonics into one content area, one class, or one elective course, these lessons are built to work across multiple content areas and grade levels.  A Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach brings relevance and purpose to the NYS Standards.  Accompanying industry-specific videos support some of the lessons by providing an authentic problem or entry event.  These activities align to specific content standards and some are interdisciplinary.  They can be used to engage students in content they are already required to learn.  The high school curriculum also aligns with elements of MCC’s dual enrollment OPT110 course.  The instructional activities will be available for download and the Industry-aligned material resources will be available in organized kits that will be distributed through Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES.  Please contact Jill Slavny at JSlavny@monroe2boces.org for more information.

SAME 2018 – Continuing to Grow and Thrive!

Congratulations to all of the 2018 SAME graduates! The Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME) was offered via two regional BOCES this year (Monroe 2 BOCES and Wayne Tech and Career Center, pictures below). Now in its third year, the program continues to grow and thrive! Students get hands-on experience in manufacturing, while earning credits at MCC, and also tour advanced manufacturing facilities in our region.

SAME Ceremony on July 27, 2018 with WTCC Principal, Andy McVey; Instructors Kelly Paladino and Dan Gersbach; and FLTCC Principal, Dawn Larson.

SAME students tour G.W. Lisk in Clifton Springs.

SAME 2017 – Two great locations serve over 40 students!

The SAME (Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience) continues to grow and thrive in our region!  This year SAME was offered from July 10-28 in multiple regional locations, exposing even more students to advanced manufacturing careers in an environment which also enabled them to earn three credits from Monroe Community College (MCC). Pictured below is the Summer 2017 SAME class from Monroe 2 BOCES at their graduation at MCC (below, top), and also the SAME WFL BOCES group on a visit to Optimax Systems (below, bottom). Congratulations to all of the students that took part this summer!

New for Summer 2016 – SAME expands to the Finger Lakes/East!

The Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturers’ Enterprise was pleased to collaborate on the expansion of the SAME – Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience – to the east side of the Finger Lakes region in Summer 2016. Made possible by a grant from the AT&T Aspire Foundation, and partners Monroe Community College and Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, the newly expanded program was located at the Williamson and Stanley locations. Participating students (9th and 10th graders), had the opportunity to experience first hand advanced manufacturing skills and earn 3 free college credits through MCC.  Pictured below, the students toured Optimax Systems, OptiPro Systems and Harbec Plastics.

Instructors Kelly Paladino (below left), of Wayne Technical and Career Center (WTCC) and Dan Gersbach (below right), of Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center (FLTCC) led the program and worked daily with the students on-site.

Congratulations to all of the 2016 SAME/East graduates!

Summer 2015 – Teacher Tours!
Exposing educators to real-time advanced manufacturing facilities, this new program seeks to address knowledge building by showcasing manufacturing in action.

In August 2015, ten educators toured FAME member Berry Plastics (representatives from Victor CSD pictured above). The response from the teachers was very positive. Some of the attendees had been on other teacher tours, and they felt the summer tours helped them to better understand the student skill sets needed for future jobs and brought them better awareness of the career pathways available in advanced manufacturing. They all said that they hoped these opportunities would be repeated again next summer!
For a complete list of the tours offered in Summer 2015, click here.

Monroe 2 BOCES WEMOCO Small Assemblies Reverse Engineering Program – click HERE

RCSD East High School Vision Optics Program

Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME)
Summer 2015:
On Friday July 24, the 2015 class of SAME (Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience) students graduated at MCC’s Applied Technologies Center. Having participated in a two week hands-on experience for students in the precision manufacturing career field, the students each received three credit hours toward an A.A.S. degree or certificate in Precision Machining or Optical Systems Technology at MCC. SAME is the result of a collaborative partnership between Monroe County, MCC, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and FAME.
Photos courtesy of MCC.

Above: SAME Summer 2015 graduating class.

Above: Student projects on display at the SAME graduation ceremony.

Summer 2014:
On July 25, 2014 fifteen 10th and 11th graders (pictured below, with a photo of their completed projects) graduated from the third class of the Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience at MCC’s Applied Technologies Center! The Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME) is funded by Monroe County and designed to create a hands-on experience for students in the precision manufacturing career field.  The students each received three credit hours toward an A.A.S. degree or certificate in Precision Machining or Optical Systems Technology at MCC. SAME is the result of a collaborative partnership between Monroe County, MCC, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and FAME.

Above: SAME Summer 2014 graduating class.

Above: SAME Summer 2014 class projects.

Summer 2013:
This year’s Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME) at the Monroe 2 BOCES WEMOCO facility graduated eleven students after a rigorous 3 weeks of training and touring advanced manufacturing facilities.  In partnership with Monroe County and Monroe Community College, this summer program for high school students is designed to expose them to the many facets of advanced manufacturing, including design, blueprint reading, project planning, and milling.  Students created candle stick holders, a brass three part whistle, and an aluminum two piece marble maze. Many thanks to the members of FAME’s Pipeline Committee, MCC, WEMOCO and COMIDA for making this program a success again in 2013!

Above: Student Mike Worth runs the mill.

Above: Student Nick Ringholz on the lathe.

Above: Student Brandon Granby with his personalized finished whistle.

Above: SAME student Josh Craig on the mill.

Above: Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Career and Technical Education Executive Principal Jill Slavny congratulates Angela Rubin.

Above: SAME Summer 2013 graduating students with Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, MCC President Anne Kress and instructors Len Hall (WEMOCO) and Bob Lasch (MCC).

Summer 2012:
Summer 2012 featured the first Summer Advanced Manufacturing Experience (SAME)! FAME’s Pipeline Committee was instrumental in getting the SAME program up and running at Monroe BOCES 2.  Students and instructors worked in the shop for four days out of five, for three weeks, for a total of twelve days. On each Friday they toured two companies, and each week featured a specific project. The first project was two mild steel candle stick holders, the second was a stainless steel three part whistle, and the third was an aluminum two piece marble maze. Thirteen students participated in the program, and really seemed to enjoy what they were doing! They also covered some theory and blueprint reading skills, along with drawing a print for each project plus writing a process for each project.  In a win-win for all – this program featured great collaboration between FAME, County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA), Monroe BOCES2 WEMOCO and Monroe Community College.  Hats off to all who participated to make this program a success! See photos below of the students in action:

Above: SAME student Tyler Miller uses a dovetail cutter to cut the air window for a stainless steel whistle.

Above: SAME student Luke Sanders holds his finished whistle.

Above: Sample project drawn on the board (students helped create); students then had to draw this on paper to enhance their own blueprint reading and drawing skills.

Above: Two mild steel candlestick holders – the square one was produced completely on a mill, and the hex shape was made completely on a lathe.

Above: SAME students with their completion certificates, pictured with instructors Len Hall and Nick Mott, and County Executive Maggie Brooks.

• SAME Parent testimonial:
  Mr. Hall,
  I can’t begin to tell you how impressed we are with this summer program. Tyler has truly enjoyed it and we are thrilled that he has found something he enjoys. My father was a machinist and he and Tyler started to talk shop. I was so impressed with what he has learned. It was neat to hear them go back and forth in this new language!  –Michelle and Mark Cotturone

GW Lisk and Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES Collaboration
For the past few years, FAME member GW Lisk (Clifton Springs, NY) has been in partnership with the Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES (Flint campus), to provide industry expertise, evaluation and directions in education that will enhance their student curriculum. Their numerous innovations include the following.

Metal Trades & Welding Advisory Board
Each year, GW Lisk participates on the Metal Trades & Welding Advisory Board to advise educators (from principals to instructors) on “school to work” study programs that enhance the productivity of students graduating from vocational fields. These programs encourage students to utilize their hard (course) skills in a simulated manufacturing environment. In a recent project, students from drafting, welding and machining specialties worked together to make a “mini chopper” motorcycle. Team members from drafting drew the required parts, the team from fabrication welded and bent the frames, and the team from machining made the various other required parts. The students then built the models from scratch, took them to auto body for finishing, and entered both of the completed models in a competition. Peer pressure from project deadlines enhanced the students’ attendance dramatically—kids keenly felt the need to be present, so they wouldn’t let their team down. Students increased their team building skills, used their hard skills in a real world practical application, and also enhanced their problem solving skills—forcing them to devise solutions and move forward to complete the project.

NIMS Certification
GW Lisk has a team that assists students in attaining their NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) certification. Students work towards attendance and grade factors to receive a nationally recognized NIMS certification endorsement on their diploma. GW Lisk employees inspect and evaluate student work, determining whether designed and fabricated parts meet tolerance specifications.

Connecting Education & Real World Experience
GW Lisk donates the time of one staff person for one week per year to teach a Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) course at the WFL BOCES Flint campus. The company also provides scholarship funds each year for teachers in the BOCES Flint program to distribute to students pursuing college degrees in drafting and machining fields. Once each year, a GW Lisk representative meets with regional guidance counselors at their quarterly meeting to discuss careers in Advanced Manufacturing (AM), and encourage counselors to tour AM facilities for a one-on-one view of potential careers for their students. By presenting AM careers as a viable option for their students to consider, GW Lisk contributing to FAME’s mission of building world class talent.