Even before graduating, students at Bridgeport High School are gaining the skills to make names for themselves near and far.
During the April 24 Bridgeport Exempted Village School District board of education meeting, technology director Lisa Clark recognized three of Information Technology teacher Jim Davenport’s students. Senior Rebecca Bowers, junior Xander Stauffer and senior Ella Molter designed a logo for Ohio College Southeast Tech Prep Regional Center, seen by many and is still in use.
“Bridgeport is on the map. That’s what’s great because we have talent. We have so much talent here, and this is some real-life experiences that they’re getting,” she said.
Davenport said his students were selected and finished the project in late 2022, when they were sophomores and juniors. He said a Bridgeport graduate working for College Tech Prep Southeast Ohio at the time reached out to him.
“They were interested in getting a logo and promotional material for a conference they were going to do last year in April,” he said. He referred to the KEY Summit of 2023, involving regional professionals and education, business and community leaders working to expand opportunities for communities and students in the southeast region of Ohio.
Davenport added his seniors were all swamped with their own projects at that time, so he gave students in the digital design class a chance at it. Bowers, Stauffer and Molter stepped up for the opportunity.
“That was just a project they volunteered to do in addition to their regular work.”
Students participated in Zoom conferences and shared information with the Southeast Tech Prep Regional Center to determine what logo best suited the organization’s needs.
Stauffer said their client had the idea of a lock image over southern Ohio, with a key to indicate they would “unlock” the area’s potential. He said the key image stood for Keep Engaging Youth.
The students also designed a poster for the event.
Clark related attending the Southeast Showcase Science Technology Engineering and Math collaborative conference April 17 at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge. She said the logo was still in use, with credit to the Bridgeport students.
“Not only are they creating them, they’re being used in the world,” Clark said. “They communicated that brand.”
Katie Good, chief administrator of the Ohio College Southeast Tech Prep Regional Center, praised the students’ achievement.
“Giving students the opportunity to experience real-world work when they’re participating in career technical education is a key pillar in student success and in preparing them for their futures,” she said.
“I did have the opportunity to meet with them a couple of times and just are thrilled with the work that they were able to do with us, both with the flier for the KEY summit that we hosted last year, and that lock and key logo that we as a region have been able to continue to use,” she said. “We host an annual convening that brings together educators, community leaders, business and industry leaders to really help create opportunities for students in our region.”
She said the students’ logo was printed on the agenda and engraved on the cups given to about 50 presenters at the conference in Cambridge. Good said more than 200 educators from 25 counties in southeastern Ohio attended.
Bridgeport High School boasts extensive information and technical coursework. Davenport said his classes include interactive media programs, an information technology class for freshmen, then a digital design class for sophomores and juniors.
“Those two are both prerequisites for a web design class and a video and sound class.”
Every two weeks his students put an update on school happenings on the district’s YouTube channel.
The students’ capstone projects consist of locating a real-world client such as a business or organization and creating a product combining everything they have learned. Davenport spoke about his students’ ambition and inventiveness in selecting capstone projects.
“The kids never cease to surprise me with their skills. Every year there’s some that stand out, but everybody does a good job,” he said, adding the students show incentive when they are creating something for real-world use.
“When kids are working on something that isn’t just a school project that’ll be filed away never to be seen again,” he said. “It definitely makes you proud to see they’ve come through.”
He said this practical approach helps instill a work ethic, as well as the importance of meeting deadlines and attention to quality.
Other projects include programs for the high school music department and a recruitment video for the Belmont County Fire and Squad Officers, to be used by fire departments throughout Belmont County. The web site for the village of Brookside was also developed by a student. Davenport anticipates more projects next year.
“I’ve got quite a few in digital design, so I’m looking forward to a new group of students. Every year something gets created that I didn’t expect.” Davenport and his students were presented with cups and logos in recognition during the April 24 board of education meeting.
