SM Northwest Students Build Custom Storage for Rhein Benninghoven Elementary School

 In an exciting collaboration between Rhein Benninghoven Elementary School and Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, high school students tackled a real-world challenge, blending creativity, practical skills, and professionalism to find a solution. The result? A custom-designed bookshelf for the elementary school's main office that not only serves functional purposes but also showcases the value of Real World Learning.

 The initiative stemmed from a project in Shawnee Mission Northwest’s woods classroom. “We needed to solve a problem. That was the whole part of Real World Learning,” explained Steve Cortez, the woods instructor at SM Northwest. 

 So, the students searched for a “problem” across the parking lot to see how they might help their elementary neighbors. Rhein Benninghoven principal, Anna Jensen, expressed a need for a specific storage solution in the school’s main office. 

 “We talked about a need for the building that would impact students and staff, and we came up with this bookshelf design in our office main area,” explained Jensen. “It will hold materials for teachers to use, but it's also going to be a shout out board where we recognize staff and students.”

 SM Northwest seniors Logan Wood and Andrew Mitchell took on the challenge and got to work. From design to delivery, Principal Jensen says the students were detail-oriented and committed to meeting client needs and expectations. “They did a lot of listening, asking questions, and ensuring that we were getting exactly what we were asking for,” Principal Jensen explained. 

 The collaboration took Wood and Mitchell through the full project lifecycle — providing many opportunities to learn through practical application. “It gives us an insight on the actual business-side of cabinet making,” Wood said. “And also, when you’re working you have an idea of what you want to do and you can just do it. But with this, you have to learn what someone else wants and what their idea is.” 

 

 

 

 

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 The design and construction process required the students to actively engage with a real client, creating a product that would directly impact the school community while also developing their attention to detail.

 “We learned about paying attention to the small stuff. That was really important; like, one little thing could mess up the whole project,” explained Mitchell.

 Throughout the project Wood and Mitchell relied heavily on their educational foundation in math, science, and engineering to problem solve and correct their mistakes. 

 “I did nothing on it,” said Cortez, describing how he advised the students throughout the process. “No drilling, no touching, nothing. They made a few mistakes, but I love seeing the lightbulbs go off. I love seeing the pride they take in their work. I love seeing just the passion they put into it. I just love seeing them hand over the work to the client.” 

 “The finished product is actually beyond what I thought it would be,” said Jensen. “To see the joy and excitement and the fact that they were able to see this process all the way through, from the beginning, was a really great thing to witness.”