WVHS receives Haas Foundation grant for second year in a row

Warwick Valley Central School District is happy to share that for the second year in a row, the district has received a grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. The grant awarded to Warwick Valley for the 2025-2026 school year is in the amount of $14,000, which is two thousand more than last year's generous $12,000 grant from the foundation. The money will largely be used as it was last year, to fund student scholarships.

_{[Photo Above: Neil McGill & WVHS teacher Pat Reiser with one of the Haas machines in the WVHS machine shop.]}

The funds will largely benefit students in the growing WVHS engineering and CAD program led by teacher Pat Reiser. The program offers multiple classes each year and also offers a full CAD computer lab and an impressive on-site machine shop outfitted with Haas equipment. The foundation also donated money to the high school's robotics program last year, and students in both areas of study use the computer and machining spaces often, to collaborate and create on class projects and extracurriculars like the Wildcats Robotics Team.  

"So, last year we used a little bit of the money to buy two 3-d printers for the lab here, which we use all the time, and the rest of it all went to scholarships for the kids," said Mr. Reiser. "I want to say we turned around at least $9,500 of it in student scholarships."

Mr. Reiser explained how some of the requirements they follow when handing out scholarships are actually established by the foundation: "To be considered, the foundation wants a student who is enrolled in a CNC-based program, which we have right here in the high school. Then, we also look for students going into a college program or a job that falls under the manufacturing and engineering umbrella. They can also be headed to serve in the military. We try to help out as many kids as we possibly can with these funds." 

The engineering program at Warwick Valley provides essential learning for students who are headed down multiple post-high school pathways, from college to workforce or a combo of the two. Classes emphasize practical, hands-on learning that students planning to jump into the manufacturing workforce will find particularly useful. One of the classes even leads to machine certification, giving Warwick Valley graduates a leg up when it comes to career options out of high school. 

Neil McGill, Director of Operations for Allendale Machinery Systems, works with Mr. Reiser on getting Haas machinery for the high school, and Mr. McGill is also a liaison between the Haas Foundation and Warwick Valley when it comes to the annual grant. 

"First, there's never a requirement that a program have any sort of Haas equipment to receive a grant," Mr. McGill said. "The foundation is just all about supporting education. In 2024 alone, the Haas Foundation gave away $32,000,000 in grants for education, and they're doing that year over year for programs that are teaching manufacturing, teaching 3-d printing; for schools that are doing CAD camps, computer modeling, getting out there with a small robotics teams. A hands-on component is also very important!"

Mr. McGill was proud to be a part of the good Haas news again this year, being a huge supporter of vocational and manufacturing engineering himself. He is particularly hopeful that students realize the potential in a career in manufacturing.

"It's an amazing industry; a true career, not just a job," said Mr. McGill. "In fact, I've seen it a lot in upstate New York, where people are working in a machine shop, and the shop is paying for them to go get their associate's degree. Depending on the company they're working for, they may even pay for a next round of college."

Mr. Mcgill also pointed out the booming job market that awaits high school graduates, especially those who have already been through a strong program like the one here in Warwick.

"In our industry, there's over 500,000 open jobs right now," said Mr. McGill. "The manufacturing sector is facing a shortage of skilled workers and there are job openings, literally, anywhere you might want to go in the country."

Thank you, Haas Foundation, for your generosity again this year. The Haas Foundation grant not only uplifts our engineering program, but also reaffirms the value of machining careers as a viable and rewarding path for students. With the right resources and support, students are equipped to embark on a fulfilling journey in engineering and manufacturing -- whether in college, a machine shop or both -- and contribute to an industry that drives innovation and economic growth.

This fall the WVHS Engineering Program is offering...

Intro to Engineering
This is an introductory Technology class that focuses on basic drawing skills that coincide with real world application. Students will use tools in our laboratory space to explore how Technology, Science and Math are combined to create products for everyday use.

Advanced AutoCAD (Prerequisite: Intro to Engineering)
A hands-on course in the use of current CAD software using various computer aided drawing (CAD) platforms. Students will complete a variety of drafting and design problems using CAD to execute both two and three-dimensional drawings. Students will produce drawings of their own design as well as assigned exercises. Drawings will be printed and/or plotted and published to a digital portfolio for evaluation.

Engineering 101 (Prerequisites: SENIORS ONLY; Advanced AutoCAD)
An introduction to Engineering as a career with emphasis on communication skills using AutoCAD and Autodesk Fusion. Students will complete project based problems using our 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC milling machines while exploring different career path options within the engineering field. Students will also earn an operator certification through HAAS.