Bulldog Manufacturing is located in Alden High School. It's been around since 2019. It’s a full manufacturing shop completely run by high school students. It’s complete with real customers and a CEO.
“Dealing with real customers, with real deadlines, real money,” explained Amelia Kelly, the CEO of Bulldog Manufacturing. She is a senior at Alden High School.
In New York, it's a one of kind program, aimed at broadening student's horizons for life after high school.
“It's so important that we have these opportunities for these students, to show them new possibilities out there. Things that they wouldn't have normally known about,” said Arthur Eggink, the technology teacher at Alden High School.
Thursday, the students and teachers opened their doors to manufacturers from around Western New York.
“I'm honestly blown away, from the professionalism, their ability to think critically on their own. They literally run everything from start to end. I mean, I'm just completely blown away,” said Christina Foster, the outreach specialist with Northland Workforce Training Center.
The people who run Bulldog manufacturing believe in what they do so much, they hope it catches on at other schools.
“Something every school district should have or something like this because this opens up so many more opportunities for jobs,” said Peter Amrhein, a student and manufacturer.
It's more than shop class, a lot more. And Bulldog Manufacturing is proud to show off how they do the real thing.
