Johnsburg High School uses grant, proceeds from equipment sales to buy John Deere excavator simulator for hands-on learning

The John Deere excavator simulator wouldn’t look out of place at a video game arcade, but the machine provides Johnsburg High School students a hands-on experience with no risk of injury, learning the muscle memory skills they can then take to an actual machine in a construction setting.

When Johnsburg High School community liaison Gus Schmid first heard about the John Deere excavator simulator a year ago, he knew it would be a valuable addition to the school’s vocational arts department, but the cost was prohibitive, Johnsburg School District 12 said in a news release last month.

Principal Kevin Shelton reached out to former Marengo Community High School District 154 Superintendent Dan Bertrand, who now is the program coordinator for McHenry County Cooperative for Employment Education, for funding ideas, according to the release. Bertrand told them about Perkins grants and the best ways to get funding for vocational education resources.

Schmid completed a Perkins grant application in August and found out in September that the school would receive $33,000 toward buying the simulator, according to the release. The district also sold some equipment to help cover the cost.

“I knew it would be a great opportunity for our students to have yet another avenue of learning,” Schmid said in the release.

After the bidding process, a deal was made with West Side Tractor, which provided a discounted price and guidance through the acquisition process, according to the release. The simulator was ordered and received and has been a very popular addition to Marty Sands’ heavy machinery class in Johnsburg High School’s vocational department.

The heavy machinery class, which has been around since 1980, teaches students truck and machinery troubleshooting and diagnostics; repair and maintenance; and skills for operating heavy equipment, a district spokeswoman said. Students also have the chance to obtain their commercial driver’s license, and the school is working with industry partners in hopes of adding more certification opportunities.

In addition to providing hands-on experience, the simulator tracks student progress and gives feedback on performance.

“At first the students were amazed, and now they compete with each other for who can earn the best ‘grade’ on timing and machine manipulation,” Schmid said in the release.