By Sara Strong
A new class at Luverne High School could impact area businesses and organizations looking to set up a Web site.
Graphic arts teacher Bill Thompson will teach a Web design class next fall, which is a first for Thompson and the school. The accredited class, which meets state grad standards, has 16 students enrolled.
Without competing with current local Web designers, Thompson hopes the class will offer a service to people wanting Web sites. And the class will also serve students who want real-world examples of how to design them.
"We have a good number to start with and hope we can get bigger," Thompson said.
The class came about largely because of $8,000 funding for new textbooks, software and licensing from the School to Work Committee.
Wade Hiller, a technology specialist for the school, backed the idea of the class from the beginning. While talking with former Luverne Economic Development Authority Director Tony Chladek about the School to Work Committee, Hiller said a Web designing class would fit into its agenda.
After some research with the school the Committee decided to use its funds for the class.
School to Work will lose funding starting in 2003, so Chladek said the timing was good.
"School to Work gets federal funds through the states and helps businesses connect with teachers and funds activities that make other connections," Chladek said. "The kids get something out of it, businesses get something out of it and it really gets communication going."
This kind of class is what the School to Work Committee wanted from the start - something that connected young people with local businesses and could foster future employment opportunities.
Hiller said the program used in the class is practical. The Dreamweaver system is a professional-level design program that will benefit students who may go on to a technical college and learn some of those same elements.
Learning to work with text, graphics and video fits in with some of what Thompson already teaches in his graphic design classes.
But teaching this specific kind of class will be new "I know about [Web pages] on a limited basis so I'm just beginning as well," Thompson said.
He plans to spend much of the summer going over the textbook and curriculum.