Viking Masek Participates in Tenth Annual Project G.R.I.L.L.

With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, grilling season is in full swing. What better way to kick off the season, than with the unveiling of the grills at the tenth annual Project G.R.I.L.L. You might find yourself asking, what is Project G.R.I.L.L.? Read on for the answer...

G.R.I.L.L. stands for Growing Readiness in Learning and Leading. Sheboygan County High Schools, paired with manufacturing companies throughout the county, embark on a project in which the students design and build custom grills from scratch. The mission of the project is to improve the image of manufacturing through exposing the community, educators, students, and parents to the diverse career opportunities within the area. Over the course of 30 weeks, students get hands-on, real world experience with a full range of production, from design to fabrication and assembly, and from project management to finished product testing, quality assurance and marketing.

Although this year marked the tenth Project G.R.I.L.L. in Sheboygan County, this was only the second year in which Viking Masek was a Head Chef Sponsor of the organization. Paired with Sheboygan North High School, Ben Wynveen, a Mechanical Engineer at Viking Masek, was the manufacturing team lead for the project. The group of North High students were tasked with designing and building a grill that will be added to the Viking Masek outdoor patio area, as it frequently gets used throughout the summer months.

“Project GRILL is truly a benefit shared between everyone involved, and serves as a unique experience for students,” Ben said. He continued, “Our goal as a sponsor is to open doors allowing students, and their families, a view of the manufacturing environment along with diverse career opportunities available in our area.  It is amazing to watch the students discover their natural abilities and develop the soft skills essential to success.”

Project GRILL is a great opportunity to bridge the gap between education and success; showing students how to apply the knowledge they have, while facilitating an environment to explore on their own. Viking Masek is proud to be a Head Chef sponsor of this great organization, and we look forward to the bright futures ahead for all of the students, schools, and companies involved.