Hypertherm Names Educational Grant Winners

Hypertherm, Inc. (Hanover, NH) announced the recipients of their 2019 Spark Something Great educational grant program, which is now in its fifth year and is designed to place the latest plasma technology into schools so the next generation of metalworkers can train on the equipment they will find once entering the workforce. The 2019 grant recipients were selected from a record pool of 170 applicants representing high schools, vocational schools, and colleges from throughout the United States and Canada.

This year, in response to increased need, the number of grants was expanded from 10 to 12. Each of the 12 winning schools will receive a Powermax45 XP plasma system, AWS SENSE-approved “Plasma Cutting Technology: Theory and Practice” curriculum kit, and in-person training from an industrial cutting expert. The 2019 recipients are:

• Bristow High School – Bristow, OK
• Dickinson High School – Dickinson, TX
• Dover Bay Secondary School – Nanaimo, BC
• Eldon Career Center – Eldon, MO
• Granville Central High School – Stem, NC
• Harris County High School – Hamilton, GA
• Hinds Career Center – Elwood, IN
• Mason High School – Okemah, OK
• Morgan County Career & Technical Center – Wartburg, TN
• Northmor High School – Galion, OH
• OKAW Area Vocational Center – Vandalia, IL
• Weld Like A Girl – Yuma, AZ

“Increasing enrollment, coupled with budget cuts, mean schools are tasked with teaching greater numbers of students with fewer tools,” said Betsy Van Duyne, who manages Hypertherm’s educational program. “Many schools have no plasma systems at all, and many others are using systems that are 15 to 20 years old and in very bad shape. We believe the versatility of our Powermax45 XP makes it a perfect choice for schools allowing students to cut, gouge, and mark with either a hand or a machine torch.”

The company also supports schools by offering educational discounts to teachers and students, and by making their plasma curriculum available for free download. To date, teachers from more than 2,100 schools have acquired the lesson plans helping standardize the teaching of plasma cutting to thousands of students. The company also offers their ProNest for Education program that places ProNest CAD/CAM nesting software in schools. Since launching that program three years ago, 52 ProNest packages valued at $145,000 have been donated.

www.hypertherm.com