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Show A-10 Wed/Thurs/Fri, December 2-4, 2015 The Park Record Teacher engineers a passion Brad Gannon melds love of teaching with an urge to create BUBBA BROWN The Park Record BUBBA BROWN/PARK RECORD Students in Treasure Mountain Junior High's Leadership I class are collecting toys to give to needy children during the holidays for the Christian Center of Park City's Operation Hope, as well as gathering clothing donations. They say the projects have taught them a lot about what it means to help others, and they have learned that there are many needy people in Park City. Students find holiday spirit Treasure Mountain class donates toys, clothes for children By BUBBA BROWN The Park Record Students at Treasure Mountain Junior High are learning a valuable lesson this holiday season: Even in a resort town like Park City, a lot of families struggle to make ends meet. "We have had people from the community come in and talk about poverty in Park City, so the students have a very clear understanding of the very real need there is in town," said Julie Hooker, who teaches leadership classes at the school. "We've had conversations about how the federal poverty line is about $24,000, but here in Park City a family of four can't live on that. The kids understand that a lot of their peers, their friends, their neighbors are in need." And now the students are taking action. Students in Hooker's Leadership I class have organized a school-wide toy drive in conjunction with Operation Hope, a Christian Center of Park City program that aims to ensure that more than 1,000 needy children in the area receive holiday gifts. Students recently put up a Christmas tree in the school's main forum and adorned it with ornaments that describe the kinds of toys they are seeking. Students, faculty and other members of the community can bring in new, unwrapped gifts and donate them by placing them under the tree until Dec. 10. "I like the act of just giving to people," said Elias Huber, one of the students heading up the toy drive. "It's something that you really don't get to do that often. So it's cool to see how many people you can help." Lauren Pederson, who is also helping with Operation Hope, said the project has opened her eyes to how many people are in need in Park City during the holidays. She has enjoyed doing her part to help out. "I think about what it's like for me opening presents on Christmas," she said. "I just imagine their smiling faces when they get something under the tree, and it's either from Santa or from their parents. They get something, and they're able to tell their friends that they got something for Christmas." Additionally, other students are making blankets and collecting clothing for the Christian Center to help keep children warm during the winter. As of last week, Hooker said 120 crates and a bunch of garbage bags full of clothes had already been gathered. Student Alexandra Bruemmer is in charge of gathering one specific item, and she's hopeful the community will respond by flooding the clothing drive with them. "The most-requested and least-donated item to places like the Christian Center are socks," she said. "Getting sock donations is actually a really big deal." For her part, Hooker is proud of the way the students have rallied to help the community. "As adults, we often forget that students can do sometimes more than we can," she said. "They can think outside the box. They take it very seriously. Adults think about writing a check or making a donation. And the kids think about doing and giving and going the extra mile." TAKE THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME Brad Gannon was thrown right into the fire. The first-year teacher took over Ecker Hill Middle School's technology and engineering class four weeks into the school year. Ever since, he's been working long hours to try to "stay two steps ahead of the students, which is easier said than done." But for Gannon, keeping pace has been a labor of love. Being in a classroom where he gets to teach hands-on lessons is the fruition of a dream he's held since he was a teenager. "I guess wanting to be a teacher started for me in high school," he said. "I participated in a career program for education, and I knew I wanted to be a teacher or work with kids. I always enjoyed learning. I'm just fascinated by problem solving and creating things and designing things and building things." How Gannon came to develop those passions is a bit of a mystery. It wasn't a trait passed down from his parents -- neither found much enjoyment in working with their hands to create things, he said -- but nonetheless it always came naturally to him. "I was always one to be tinkering with things," he said. "I always just enjoyed it -- woodworking, working with motors, robotics." Now, Gannon gets to tinker nearly every day, along with his classroom full of students. Some of his favorite projects he has assigned so far include building CO2-powered cars out of wood and designing motors for speedboats using rubber bands, baking soda and vinegar or water. He said he enjoys watching students wrestle with the design process and build things out of scrap materials. Often times, they think of solutions he never would have. BUBBA BROWN/PARK RECORD Brad Gannon teaches technology and engineering at Ecker Hill Middle School. As someone who has always loved building things, he enjoys getting to help students engage in the design and creative process. His students this year have tackled projects such as building CO2-powered wooden cars and motorized speedboats. Windows and Doors to Complete Your Vision! "After we replaced our windows with Infinity, our utility bill was so low the utility company came by our house because they were sure our meter was broken!" -Randy & Lynn S. WINTER COMET BOBSLED Comet Bobsled Ride is an Olympic experience not to be missed! AVAILABLE THRU MARCH 27 BOOK ONLINE TODAY! "I was surprised by when they made multiple motors for the speedboats," said Gannon, who moved to Utah about five years ago and spent last year as a technology coach at Trailside Elementary School. "I was very narrow-minded by thinking of one specific motor, but some students were using a rubber band and also trying to use the baking soda and vinegar." As much as he loves working with his hands, Gannon has designs on moving into a different realm of education as his career continues. He would like to explore computer science and be on the forefront of the next technological advances that could revolutionize education. "I think that's the way education is going, especially with our rural areas," said Gannon, who is trying to get a teaching endorsement this year in computer science. "I'm interested in different online learning platforms and figuring out how to create virtual classrooms where students are actually participating in something, not just filling out quizzes online." 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