When the pandemic caused everything to shut down at a moment’s notice, some projects at Pathway were left hanging in limbo. This includes engineering and woodworking projects our students were working on with Pathway Teacher Mr. Dave Berdis. To gradually ease back into offering specialized courses, Mr. Berdis used innovative thinking to create a mobile Engineering and Woodworking cart.

This cart, on wheels, can travel to different parts of the schools where Mr. Berdis can finish and create new projects with students in a socially distanced and COVID-safe manner. The cart includes hand tools (no power tools), nuts and bolts, paint, brushes, pencils, sanitizing wipes, and vinyl gloves – everything needed for students to work on their projects while receiving instruction and supervision from Mr. Berdis at a safe distance. The wheels are adjustable – flaps down, wheels roll and the cart is mobile. Flaps up, the legs of the cart lower to the ground for stability while working on the cart.

The first project that the students will complete is their candy dispensing machines. This is just one example of how Pathway teachers are using innovation and creativity to continue offering leading-edge education and hands-on experiential learning in the special education environment.