FRANKFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) — A student-run repair program at Frankford Township School is giving students hands-on experience fixing everything from car parts and printers to antique decorations while teaching problem-solving, customer service and basic business skills.
Bulldog Repair was started partway through the last school year by technology education and STEM teacher Don Reinertsen, who told RNJ the idea developed after school staff members regularly brought him items that needed to be fixed.
Rather than continuing to make the repairs himself, Reinertsen saw an opportunity to involve students who were excelling in his classes and showed an interest in working with their hands.
He proposed a club for interested students in grades 5 through 8 that would meet during recess and operate similarly to a small business.
Students learn how to speak with customers about needed repairs, complete intake information, estimate jobs, perform repairs and explain what work was completed and how it was done.
The program began late last school year with about eight students but quickly grew to approximately 40 as more students learned about it, Reinertsen said.
The growth prompted Bulldog Repair to begin accepting items from the local community because students were repairing items from around the school faster than they could be brought in.
Community interest also resulted in donations of hand tools, toolboxes and other materials to help support the growing program.
In just a few months last school year, students repaired more than 150 items, including car parts, desk chairs, pencil sharpeners and printers. Students also created custom 3D-printed items, laser-cut signs and trophies.
Some of the more unusual projects included repairing the school’s Van de Graaff machine used in science classes, a 100-year-old antique Santa and sleigh, a direct-to-fabric printer and hold-down tabs for the soft top of a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle.
Students also converted five Power Wheels vehicles into electric drag racing cars for the school’s annual car show fundraiser.
The program has continued to grow this school year, with 54 students now participating, Reinertsen told RNJ. About 12 students, depending on their ability to get an early ride to school, also arrive before school to work on projects.
The full group meets Wednesdays and Thursdays during recess and lunch, the two days Reinertsen is available to oversee the program.
Before students can begin working, they must pass a general tool safety test with a score of 100%. Additional safety tests and practical instruction are required before students can use equipment beyond basic hand tools.
Reinertsen said Bulldog Repair currently operates under two primary rules: respect the people, classroom and items students have been trusted with, and stay busy.
The skills students learn depend largely on the projects they choose. Students can learn to create 3D models for 3D printers, make custom signs using a laser cutter provided by the school’s PTA, perform basic electrical diagnostics and develop leadership skills by overseeing small groups working on more complicated projects.
As students gain experience, Reinertsen said he hopes older students will lead smaller groups of younger students and pass along what they have learned.
Although the school year is still getting underway, Bulldog Repair has already repaired and delivered 25 items. Another 12 were in progress, two were awaiting parts, two could not be repaired and 18 were waiting for students to begin working on them, according to Reinertsen.
The program accepts items from members of the local community as long as they can fit in the classroom and can safely be worked on by young students.
When students are available, they help receive the items, ask questions about the problem and complete an intake card so the students handling the repair know where to begin.
The program accepts donations to help cover parts and materials. Reinertsen said he hopes the money can also help support the technology education program, Bulldog Repair and some of the other programs he oversees at Frankford Township School, many of which operate without dedicated materials budgets or stipends.
Reinertsen said the program’s larger lesson goes beyond learning how to repair individual items.
“I hope the big takeaway here is with a little determination and a willingness to try you can do just about anything,” Reinertsen told RNJ. “Some of those things you thought were disposable can be repaired if you’re willing to try.”
He said giving students hands-on skills can expand the possibilities available to them and potentially introduce some students to future careers.
“Hopefully we’re sparking interest in a few kids and sending them down a career path, but more than anything I hope every kid gets a few basic skills that they can apply for the rest of their lives,” Reinertsen said.
