Support Ironwood

State funding covers the classroom. It does not cover a second welding bay, a lab full of current diagnostic equipment, or the safety gear we hand to every shop student at no cost to the family. That part depends on people and businesses who decide this is worth backing.

Host a work-based learning placement

This is the most valuable thing an employer can do for us, and it costs no money. Every senior is required to complete an internship, logged apprenticeship hours, or a co-op placement. We need host sites across software, security, electrical, HVAC, welding, and automotive work. Placements run six to twelve weeks, students arrive with safety training already completed, and a school liaison handles the paperwork.

Donate equipment or tools

Working equipment a business is cycling out is often exactly what a teaching shop needs. Recent donations that made a real difference include a set of refrigerant recovery machines, three network switches for the cybersecurity lab, and a pallet of steel offcuts that kept the welding program in practice stock for most of a year. We can arrange pickup anywhere in the Austin area.

Mentor a team

Each competition robotics team is paired with an industry mentor for the build season, roughly two evenings a month from October through February. Mentors do not need teaching experience. They need to be willing to ask students good questions instead of taking the wrench.

Give to the student support fund