What started as a straightforward facilities request — find seating for the newly renovated Wawasee Middle School pool — became something far more meaningful: a hands-on manufacturing project completed entirely by Wawasee High School students, from production floor to pool deck.
The benches now lining the WMS pool aren't from a catalog. They were manufactured, assembled, and installed by students enrolled in the POLYWOOD Academy at Wawasee High School — a two-year career and technical education program that places juniors and seniors inside one of Indiana's most innovative manufacturers, just one mile down the road.
When Wade Wirebaugh, Director of Operations for Wawasee School Corporation, began searching for pool seating, he quickly discovered that standard procurement routes weren't going to cut it. What happened next was a testament to the power of the school's industry partnership with POLYWOOD.
"About a month ago, I began the process of finding appropriate seating and benches for the newly renovated WMS Pool," Wirebaugh said. "What should have been a simple task turned into a more challenging project than expected. After connecting with our CTE Director Tina Schmucker, she took the lead and, with minimal cost to the corporation, helped turn an obstacle into an opportunity."
"Through our CTE partnership with POLYWOOD, our students designed, built, and transported these high-end benches — and soon, the storage solutions," Wirebaugh continued. "The result is a set of functional, well-crafted pieces that not only serve the space well but also showcase student involvement, creativity, and real collaboration."
How the Project Came Together
The pool bench project was a true all-program effort, with each level of the academy contributing according to their skills. Level 1 students — juniors in their first year — worked at POLYWOOD's production facility on Polywood Way in Syracuse to manufacture the recycled plastic lumber components and package them for delivery. Level 2 students — seniors completing their second year — then took those materials and did what they've been trained to do: build.
The Level 2 cohort assembled the finished benches and transported them to Wawasee Middle School, where they installed them along the pool deck. The result is visible to anyone who steps into the renovated facility — a row of durable, precisely-built POLYWOOD benches bearing the work of the students who made them.
Level 2 (senior) students assemble POLYWOOD benches at Wawasee Middle School before transporting them to the WMS pool deck. The project put real manufacturing skills to work on a real school need. Students in this photo are: Kassidy Carter, Audrey Miller, Brody Easterline, Andrew Waugh, & Micha Wilson
A Partnership Unlike Any Other
The POLYWOOD Academy is built on a partnership that is rare in the world of K–12 education. POLYWOOD — the Syracuse, Indiana-based manufacturer founded in 1990 and known for pioneering the use of recycled plastic lumber in outdoor furniture — didn't just offer its name to a program. The company has invested its time, its people, and its resources directly into the students of Wawasee High School.
At the center of the program is Jeremy McKinzie, a POLYWOOD employee who serves as the academy's instructor and adjunct teacher — while remaining on POLYWOOD's payroll. The company houses the program's industry-grade CNC machine, purchased through a $500,000 grant from the Don Wood Foundation, at its own facility so students can operate it in a real production environment.
Ryan Zimmerman at POLYWOOD was instrumental in choosing to take on this program directly — not through a third party, but by putting POLYWOOD's own workforce and facility behind it. The result is a program where students aren't simulating manufacturing. They're doing it alongside working professionals, producing real products that go to real customers.
POLYWOOD Academy — At a Glance
- Open to juniors (Level 1) and seniors (Level 2) at Wawasee High School
- Located at POLYWOOD's manufacturing facility — 1000/1001 Polywood Way, Syracuse, IN — approximately one mile from WHS
- Instruction provided by Jeremy McKinzie, POLYWOOD employee and WHS adjunct teacher
- CNC machine purchased with a $500,000 Don Wood Foundation grant, housed and operated at POLYWOOD
- Level 1 students eligible for summer employment at $20/hr; Level 2 students may work during the school day at $22/hr
- Program goal: connect every graduate with a job offer — at POLYWOOD or elsewhere in advanced manufacturing
Tina Schmucker, the CTE Director of Pathways at Wawasee since 2024, has overseen the academy since its launch. She doesn't mince words about what POLYWOOD has meant to the program.
"POLYWOOD is a unicorn in the world of business partnerships with the school. We couldn't have asked for a better partner, mentor, and supporter of the CTE program at Wawasee."— Tina Schmucker, CTE Director of Pathways, Wawasee High School
Real Skills. Real Wages. Real Careers.
The POLYWOOD Academy isn't designed as a field trip or a preview — it's a workforce pipeline with teeth. Students who complete Level 1 are eligible to be hired by POLYWOOD for summer work at $19 per hour. Level 2 seniors can work during the school day in direct collaboration with POLYWOOD, earning up to $22 per hour once CNC certified. Every aspect of the program is built around a single goal: make sure students are ready to be hired the day they graduate.
For students who land a position at POLYWOOD, the path forward is clear. The company promotes from within, and the students who've gone through the academy enter the workforce with relationships and skills that give them an immediate advantage. For those whose careers take them elsewhere in advanced manufacturing, POLYWOOD works with them to find and secure their first opportunity in the field.
A Program Growing as Fast as Its Students
The POLYWOOD Academy launched in the 2024–2025 school year with a first cohort of six Level 1 juniors. Now in its second year, enrollment has grown to 14 students — nine Level 1 juniors and five returning Level 2 seniors. The retention tells its own story: every student who was eligible to return for their senior year did.
| School Year | Level 1 (Juniors) | Level 2 (Seniors) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 (Year 1) | 6 | — | 6 |
| 2025–26 (Year 2) | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| 2026–27 (Projected) | 17 | 3 | 20 |
* Level 2 enrollment reflects returning students. All eligible students have chosen to continue into their senior year.
Looking ahead to the 2026–2027 school year, the program anticipates welcoming 17 new Level 1 juniors alongside 3 continuing Level 2 seniors — bringing total projected enrollment to 20 students. The program's leadership has set an ambitious goal of doubling enrollment year over year, and early indicators suggest demand among incoming juniors is strong.
The finished benches take shape as students work through the assembly sequence. The pool project marked the first time the program completed a full cycle — from manufacturing components at POLYWOOD's facility to installation inside a Wawasee school building.
A First of Its Kind — and Not the Last
The WMS pool bench project is the first time the POLYWOOD Academy completed a full production-to-installation cycle inside a Wawasee school building. It won't be the last. As Wirebaugh noted in his summary of the project, storage solutions for the WMS pool are already in progress — another student-led effort through the same partnership.
For families, community members, and future students curious about the POLYWOOD Academy, more information is available through the Wawasee High School CTE Department. Students interested in enrolling in the 2026–2027 cohort are encouraged to speak with their school counselor.