“As a manufacturing, engineering, and skilled trades teacher, the core of my professional fulfillment stems from the profound opportunity to shape the futures of my students. My passion is not only teaching but also the transformative journey of turning novices into skilled artisans who can excel in various trades.”
John Kim teaches manufacturing and engineering at Ypsilanti Community High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In 2018, Kim was planning to retire after selling his manufacturing company. But, when his wife, an Ypsilanti Community High School teacher, informed him of the urgent need for a skilled trades teacher in their community, he set that plan aside. Kim has been teaching since 2019, combining his experience as a former owner of various trades companies with his master’s of science education in lean manufacturing from Kettering University to create seamless pathways to manufacturing careers for his students.
Kim accomplishes this by prioritizing problem-based learning that allows students to apply their skills in real-world scenarios like renovating local nonprofit facilities, and by connecting students with industry professionals so they can build their network early. At the end of the year, students use the lessons they learned to complete a capstone project that tests their ability to apply their knowledge in practical situations. For one of these capstone projects, a student built a composter that reduced the carbon footprint of the school’s cafeteria and provided the school’s garden with fertile soil. Kim continues to improve his curriculum with consultation from industry professionals, and with the knowledge gained from his ongoing doctoral studies in educational leadership and curriculum design at the University of South Carolina.
Notes of Excellence
- Students showcase their mechanics and electronics skills in the First Robotics Competition (FRC).
- Kim is focusing his doctoral dissertation on the vertical alignment of manufacturing curricula in PK-12 education.
- Kim’s teaching draws from a broad spectrum of experience he gained as an owner of three manufacturing companies, a roofing company, and a spray foam insulation company.