Dear ChampionNOW,

I am writing this letter to express my gratitude for the Pen Manufacturing Lab that you recently hosted at TCD with the Proviso West Manufacturing students. The experience that you provided to these students was not only educational, but it also instilled a sense of accomplishment and pride in them.

I was truly impressed with the step-by-step process that you implemented during the lab. It allowed the students to learn valuable skills while also fostering a sense of ownership over their work. The way you designed the lab specifically for the age group was remarkable. It was accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Beyond the immediate joy experienced by the participants, I believe that the Pen Manufacturing Lab holds significant long-term value. By exposing young minds to the world of manufacturing, you have inspired a new generation to explore and pursue careers in this field. Your efforts have undoubtedly sparked an interest and curiosity among these students, paving the way for their future success.

On behalf of the entire Proviso West Manufacturing community, I want to express our deepest appreciation for your support and dedication to the program. Your expertise and commitment have made a lasting impact and will continue to inspire students for years to come.

Thank you once again for your invaluable contribution. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with ChampionNOW and look forward to future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Dear Camp CHAMP team,

We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to the Iverson family and everyone who played a role in making the Camp CHAMP event a success. November’s event at the Technology Center of DuPage was a wonderful experience for our students.

During the event, our 7th and 8th graders had the unique chance to participate in the entire manufacturing process. They got to construct personalized pens, which served as their final project. It was exciting to see their enthusiasm as they engaged with the various steps involved in creating a tangible product.

The students were genuinely fascinated by the advanced technology and high-tech equipment used during the manufacturing process. Witnessing how items can be produced in large quantities with such precision opened their eyes to the possibilities within this field.

As a school that feeds into the Proviso High School district, which boasts an outstanding manufacturing program, it was particularly inspiring for our students. They were able to envision a potential learning pathway in manufacturing, giving them a glimpse of what their future could hold.

Thank you once again for your support and involvement in making this event a memorable experience for our students. Your contributions play a vital role in enriching their educational journey.

Dear Terry Iverson,

I would like to thank CHAMPION Now! for letting me participate in such a great workshop for junior high school students. It is great seeing high school students mentoring the younger kids. It is wonderful idea to have the future of manufacturing
mentoring the future of manufacturing. The way the lab was set up to have students go through all the steps of making their own pen and getting to keep for life, is just amazing. The excitement of the students watching the little CNC lathe cut wood for their pens. Then taking it to the indexer to deburr and stain it. Seeing them use a manual press to assemble their own pen gave each student some sense of accomplishment in doing it themselves. To hear the students comment about how they expected manufacturing to be dirtier, then to see them leaving smiling in their new white CHAMPION Now! T-shirts, says a lot about the stigma that is around manufacturing. You are helping to show that cleanliness is the future. I really appreciate getting the youth involved in manufacturing, as this will help fill in some gaps that are coming with an aging workforce.

If you ever need any help with CHAMPION Now!, you can always count on me to be there.

Best wishes,

Dear Terry Iverson, and the CHAMPION Now! Organization,

I just wanted to let you know how much my students and I really appreciated the Camp CHAMP field trip at the Technology Center of DuPage on November 21st. The students were mesmerized by the manufacturing process of the pens and appreciated that some of the high school students that operated the CNC and lathe machines were former Roosevelt students. I know they enjoyed it very much because they were talking about it to the other students in our building. Many students, some that I don’t even teach, asked if they could attend next time.

For me, I loved the level of organization and foresight you showed throughout the process. From weeks before to the day of the camp, it was truly top notch. I loved how you had stations and the students rotated through. It kept the student’s interest level. You were so energetic and willing to answer any questions.

I know that this opened the eyes of many of my students about possible career choices. Many of them had no idea that a facility and machines like this even existed. Thank you so much for helping me impact so many of my students. We are all indebted to you.

Thanks again.