Michigan Tech students were able to experience the inner workings of the Nucor factory in Crawfordsville, IN a few weeks ago. This experience was made possible due to the hard work of AIST, Nucor, and Michigan Tech.
Because a bus full of 50 students were traveling, the trip logistics were carefully planned and accommodations for a group this size were considered. The planned portion of the trip included a factory tour, dinners, and classroom training about leadership.
There are many adages about the “best laid plans” and Murphy’s law. All of them apply here!
While the bus was en-route on this 12 hour journey, a combination of weather patterns forced the electrical utility to schedule the Electric Arc Furnace to be shut down during the tour. Quick thinking at the factory resulted in a re-adjustment of both dinner and tour plans. The Nucor team was able to rally to provide tours late in the evening and everyone ended up staying up later than planned.
Our students learned even more lessons than we had originally planned! They got an excellent lesson in planning, resilience, and adjusting to changing conditions. The key part of “Experiential Education” is that the experience will always be unique.
You can view photos of the event on our flickr page
