Oak Ridge TSA students present award-winning animal-shelter redesign that won state and national competitions

Oak Ridge High School students from the Technology Student Association (TSA) told the Oak Ridge Schools Board of Education they designed a retrofit for the Oak Ridge animal shelter and won state and national competitions for the project.

The student team — led in presentation by Avery Fisher (chapter president), with officers Susanna Nave (vice president), Ellie McKee (secretary) and Lila Chittenden (reporter) — said they selected the shelter after on-site research and interviews with volunteers and staff. They told the board the shelter recently observed its 50th anniversary and that the building was originally a train depot that later became a shelter without major renovations.

"We saw that the Oak Ridge [animal] shelter needed improvement and that it was in disrepair," the students said. They described designing the project in Fusion 360 CAD software and building a scaled model using a foam base, wooden walls, an angled roof for drainage and a French drain feature on the base. The students said the model included a staff area, kennels and guillotine-style doors to make opening and closing easier for staff.

The presenters described the TSA Construction Challenge process: teams submit projects that address a community construction need, are evaluated against a rubric at state competitions and may proceed to nationals, which includes international entries and multiple rounds of review and interviews. At one point a student said the TSA organization has "about 3,000 or 300,000 members," reflecting uncertainty in the spoken remarks.

Students told the board they won the state competition and later won first place at nationals, where they said judges assessed written submissions and interviews. The team also described community outreach: they presented to the city council and the Rotary Club and said the project received coverage in the local paper.

Brinette Burnett, identified in remarks as the TSA advisor, thanked other adult volunteers and advisors who supported the team and asked the board to recognize their effort. Board members offered applause and verbal congratulations and the chair invited questions from board members.

The students closed by thanking advisors, teachers and parents and emphasizing how the project helped them connect with the community and develop practical STEM skills.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation.