Lincoln Academy students with their newly-completed maple syrup evaporators. From left: Sawyer Wright, DET teacher Andrew Jonash, Jayden Orne, Neil Sprague, Frank Prior, and Topher Vincentson
Lincoln Academy students recently completed a hands-on metal technology project converting two 55 gallon barrel drums into maple syrup evaporators during the winter trimester. The long-term group project allowed students to engage in practical metalworking skills, project management, and connected them with local tradition and self-reliance.
Metal shop students learned essential techniques in metal fabrication, measuring, layout, and problem solving in the school’s metal shop, located in the school’s Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center (ATEC). Each evaporator was crafted to convert sap from maple trees into sweet syrup, a practice that involves long hours feeding a fire as the sap boils down.
Sugaring in Maine was the topic of a recent “Seniors Speak,” a series where LA seniors give short speeches on a topic of their choice during the weekly school-wide Friday Community Meeting. Senior Amelia Rice spoke about growing up sugaring every year, and how the process brings together a community of people who work together to collect sap, and then stand with you by the fire through the cold wet days as we thaw out from Maine’s long winter.
The metal shop evaporator project will serve as a fundraiser for new gloves and welding jackets for the metal shop. The students applied skills they learned in the classroom to create a finished product ready for a consumer. This specific goal helped to push students to maintain a high quality of work and deliver a finished product within a timeline.
“Students not only practiced their hands-on technical skills but also gained appreciation for the process of maple syrup production,” said LA Design, Engineering, and Technology (DET) teacher Andrew Jonash, who teaches metal technology.
The students collaborated closely, working in teams to overcome challenges and improve on their design. The project culminated on the last day of the trimester, when students tested out their evaporators with inaugural fires.
Lincoln Academy believes in fostering hands-on, applied learning experiences that promote teamwork and critical thinking. The maple syrup evaporator project exemplifies this commitment and highlights the importance of integrating technical skills with environmental awareness.
The Metal Technology course is available to all LA students. Other courses taught in the ATEC building include: Robotics, Wood Technology, Jewelry & Metalsmithing, Project Based Physics, and Computer-Aided Design.
The evaporators will be sold at the Lincoln Academy Booster Auction on Saturday, March 21. If you would like more information on how to purchase one of the evaporators, please contact Maya Crosby (crosby@lincolnacademy.org), Director of Learning Initiatives at Lincoln Academy.
