Innovative Practices in Career and Technical Education with Doug Merrill

Doug Merrill has been teaching Engineering Related classes at Wenatchee HS since 1989. Design and build is the core focus of his pre-engineering curriculum and creating unique experiences keep things fun for him and his learners. His newest class: Ski Design and Adaptive Play allow kids to design and build skis and snowboards along with hacking electronic toys and electric ride-on cars for special needs students. Next year he will be starting a new class on Turf management and athletic field maintenance, with future plans to build a Pitch and Putt golf course and Driving Range. In 2012 His students broke a Guinness World Record when they built the world longest marble run of over 1,700 feet in the gym at Wenatchee HS. And one of his Engineering students won the Illinois Institute International Bridge building title. He has been selected to participate in the MIT Invent Teams for students creating new inventions. He was named “Washingtonian of the Day” by Governor Jay Enslee during a visit to Merrill’s classroom while they were making skis that the governor helped with. Since 2018 Merrill has been on a state-wide mission to work with high school students and district PT’s and OT’s to adapt electric ride-on cars for children with special needs. He currently is mentoring teachers in over 10 school districts in Washington with their own Go Baby Go! Projects. This venture has broadened to small electronic toys as more children can be impacted on a much smaller budget. He has served as President of the Washington Industrial Technology Educators Association and is currently the Past-President of the Washington Association of Career and Technical Education. He received a Region V Innovative CTE Classroom Award in 2019 and currently serves on the Region V Membership and Marketing Committee. In May of 2021, he became a Certified Trainer for the 6 Types of Working Genius, an assessment developed by Patrick Lencioni (5 dysfunctions of a Team and The Ideal Team Player) to help people find their Working Geniuses. He runs two-hour trainings to help teams address their strengths and weaknesses while reducing team toxicity. In September 2021 he received the Legacy Award from the North Central Washington Tech Alliance for his years of service in STEM education. He has been the Head Girls Golf Coach since 1994. His favorite classroom activity is still making custom animal pancakes for his young engineers. Porcupines and Jellyfish are his favorites.