We all had tough homework assignments when we were in school, but for a group of high school students at Austintown Fitch....this assignment was never meant to stay in the classroom.

Usually, when there's a problem, there's a solution.

And for a group of students in Austintown High School's Intro to Engineering class, the problem they were presented with would have a solution that expands outside the classroom.

"I knew I was going to be able to help the school with my work and it wasn't just going to be a homework assignment that I turned in for a grade, but I would actually help my school get better." 

The task presented to the students was researching a way to resurface Austintown High School's track, but in a way that would be as sustainable as possible.

Instantly, the thought of using scrap tires to resurface the track became a contender, and the students ran with it.

"It took two and a half weeks once we got everything, once we went outside and took the measurements and did the math and they did the researching," says Robert Wyatt, STEM teacher at Austintown Fitch High School. 

The 17 students used STEM methods to make calculations on the size of the track and the number of tires they would need. Ultimately their research looked into the benefits of using scrap tires to resurface the track compared to other methods; research that would later help them achieve a grant from the Ohio EPA to help fund the project.

"A lot of hours spent on this grant. I've written many grants last year, and we received over 900 thousand dollars in competitive grants last year alone. Receiving the recycling grant was one of the hardest ones, very time-consuming with quite a few narrative questions that needed to be answered and students involved," said Janet Polish, Director of State and Federal Programs at Austintown Local Schools. 

It was a win-win situation, not only for the school district but also for the students. Mr. Wyatt got to teach real-world applications in his classroom and the students got to take what they were learning in the classroom and see it come to life right here on this track coming up next year.

"I found it a great opportunity for them because the students I love having had real-world opportunities for something that benefits not only my classroom but them as a school district and as a community," adds Wyatt. 

11,500 tires will be needed for the project which is equal to 68.5 tons of rubber.

 The grant was awarded to the school district in June of this year and work on the track is set to begin Summer of 2024.