At the front entrance of school near two large dumpsters stands a large black trailer, and on the side of the trailer is a bright green lightning bolt with bold letters reading: THE GREEN MACHINE.
The Green Machine has resided on campus for three years, ever since Mike Wierusz started teaching here. Originally a blank trailer, its distinctive design was created by one of Wierusz’s students prior to the teacher’s move to Inglemoor.
The trailer acts as a “learning lab” which Wierusz uses for his two classes, IB Design and Technology and Sustainable Engineering and Design. It serves as storage space for valuable and expensive science equipment and supplies, the engineering teacher said.
Storage isn’t the Green Machine’s only job, as it also serves as a mobile science lab. The trailer can be sent to other schools, removing the need for the schools to purchase and store their own science equipment.
“We can help an elementary science fair or a lab,” Wierusz said. “It allows folks to do design and engineering.”
The trailer hasn’t been out and about much lately.
“It’s been kinda dormant,” Wierusz said. “The original vision would be that we would be going [to science fairs] all the time.”
Although the Green Machine has been inactive, the new IB Career-related Program (CP) may get the trailer running again. The IB CP requires students to do a variety of community service-related tasks such as helping teach at school science fairs and the Green Machine can help transport the essential science equipment.
“The CP program is a way to do some authentic service,” Wierusz said. “The students can be the experts that teach.”
