J. F. Ahern Co. - Student Center

Project GRILL (Growing Readiness in Learning & Leading) partners area high school technical education students with local businesses to experience the excitement of the manufacturing industry. The year-long project challenges students to work with local manufacturers to design and build a working charcoal grill.

The Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce started the program in 2008, in cooperation with six local firms and Moraine Park Technical College. Students are exposed to up-to-the-minute technology and real-world deadlines. They learn first-hand how manufacturing careers are creative, challenging, and rewarding. Participating students tour all the manufacturers’ work sites, and representatives of the manufacturers also tour the schools.

The culmination of the project happens at the end of the school year, when the students' grills are brought together for a public unveiling. The grills are "fired up" to cook lunch for attendees, and participants get to see for the first time what each partnership created.

The following schools and businesses were partnered for the 2009-2010 Project GRILL:

Business	High School
J. F. Ahern Co.	Laconia
BCI Burke	Campbellsport
Mercury Marine	Oakfield
Manowske Welding	Horace Mann
Mid-States Aluminum	Kewaskum
MAG Giddings & Lewis	Fond du Lac

Laconia High School students revealed their walk-up grill and bar at the project unveiling event. Ahern Human Resources Generalist Kelly Flood (fourth from right) served as Ahern's point person for communications between students and staff, and poses with the team.


1-800-532-4376	© 2007 J.F. Ahern Co.