‘Make It Work’ program takes shape

WARREN — Sitting together at a classroom table on the morning of April 2, students in the Make It Work program looked into their paper crystal balls.

“Think about what really matters to you,” retired Warren Woods Public Schools social worker Linda Hutchins said. “Draw, write or use the cutouts in your crystal ball of what you want to see in your future.”

For instance, if Kira Ozga had $50 million for her future, the 16-year-old Warren Woods Tower High School student would purchase a car and live “in a Japanese house surrounded by cherry trees.” She’d also put some of the money away in savings to be prepared for anything unexpected.

Ozga was among five students that participated in the district’s Make It Work program held during spring break March 30 through April 2 at the high school. The students completed a number of lessons each day, with much of their time spent making art projects on various machinery.

Make It Work is a collaboration between Warren Woods Public Schools, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and Michigan Works. Students who have a disability must have a case with Michigan Rehabilitation Services to qualify for the program. 

The students were paid $14 an hour from Michigan Works for attending class every day. The program’s partners included the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, the Warren Recycling Center, Wally’s Custard in St. Clair Shores, and students and families in the district.

Many of the student projects were made from recycled plastic bottles that program partners donated. The donations were cleaned and sorted, and the students learned how to use a granulator for shredding. The students also used thermoforming and injection molding to create various pieces of custom art that included drink coasters, turtle figures and stained glass. Any guitar picks they made were donated to the Warren Woods Tower band program. 

The plastic project program was made possible with funds generated through sales of student work and grants from the Warren Woods special education department and the Warren Woods Educational Foundation for Educational Advancement. Students have access to the recycling studio throughout the school year.

“We are providing a fun and engaging introduction for students who may consider a career as plastic process technicians. The purpose of the program is to get plastic diverted from a landfill so it can be used,” said Michele Morgan, the district’s occupational therapist/transition coordinator. “A lot of companies use injection molding to make car parts. By introducing it, we’re hoping they have interest working in that field.” 

Another project for the students was transforming granite slabs into garden stones. The students used machinery to etch designs, pictures and text on them.   

With her memory stone, Enterprise High School student Jasmine McSorley, 18, paid tribute to her dad who died in 2017 when she was 8 years old. Using her artistic abilities and a laser printer, McSorley engraved a photo of her dad and their dog, Dexter, into the wood. She also etched the phrase “In loving memory of Kris K. McSorley, father of Kristian and Jasmine.” She’s going to place it in her garden as a reminder of all the times she and her dad played miniature golf. 

“Dexter is still alive,” McSorley said. “He misses (my dad) so much. He roams around the house missing him.”

Fellow Enterprise student Christian Brammer also made a granite maker with the message that read “It doesn’t matter where you started, it matters where you’re going.”

“Not everyone has a good starting point in life,” Brammer, 18, said. “That start doesn’t always determine the end.”

Brammer plans to attend the Macomb Career & Technical Institute after graduation. Make It Work has given him a foundation.

“It’s pretty good,” he said. “I’m learning new skills I didn’t have. I learned a lot about myself, values and ways to think differently.”

 Austin Korte, 18, who attends Warren Woods Tower High School was always available to show guests how the granulator works. Warren Woods Tower student Destinee Hayes, also 18, mastered different machines, including the wood burner to make a jigsaw puzzle.

“I think it turned out well,” she said. “The pieces came out better than I expected.”

Hayes found Make It Work “quite enjoyable.”

“It gave me a chance to see how machines and manufacturing work. I feel that will be very useful as I get older in life,” Hayes said. 

Also helping in class is a Macomb Community College student and occupational therapy assistant Mohima Ahmed.

“This is my clinical internship,” she said. “I love it. All the kids here are so great. It’s nice to work with them.”

Businesses or organizations interested in donating plastic to the program can contact Michele Morgan at mmorgan@mywwps.org. 

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.