If you look around the streets El Monte you
might catch a glimpse of bright blue classic Volkswagen Bus pedaling
down the street. The replica of the VW
bus is actually a bicycle built for 4 created by Kranz Intermediate School
student, Elemy Vite.
Elemy is part of Kranz Intermediate’s
Project Lead the Way program and completed her VW Bus project in Tim Otter’s Wood
Shop class.
“I really like classic cars so I wanted to
do something that looked like a classic,” said Elemy. “I worked on the VW Bus for a long time,
about six months, and it was a lot of hard work but worth it. I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
Mr. Otters couldn’t be prouder of Elemy’s
dedication and skills and the innovative project she created.
“Elemy had great foresight in creating her
VW Bus,” said Otters. “From the concept of
the project to the end result she kept going with it and worked through different
challenges that arose each day. I’m very
proud of her determination and willingness to work hard to complete such a
large project.”
Made of wood and fiberglass, the VW Bus
Bike was transformed from a simple wood frame to the amazing completed version
by carrying out a variety of steps during the six months Elemy worked on it.
Helping
with the construction of the bus was fellow student, Andy Pena who joined Elemy
during class and before and after school to complete the highly detailed
bus.
“I built the wood frame and then had to add
concrete tubes to the corners, trowel fiberglass and drywall and there was a
lot of sanding. It seems like I was
sanding forever!” said Elemy. “We did a lot of testing along the way for
different things like wheel placement, weight, and other stuff and I learned a
lot as I went along. I’m really glad I did
it.”
Inside the bus and providing the pedal
power are two bikes that Mr. Otter’s picked up at a thrift store. Elemy welded and bonded the bikes together,
making a frame for the interior of the bus.
Additionally, she made a trailer to pull behind so that the VW Bus can
transport four people.
“This was a really fun project. I really like riding in it and can’t wait to
take friends for a ride.”
Industrial Arts is thriving at Kranz Intermediate
under Mr. Otter’s direction. His
students have made innovative and beautiful projects such as jewelry boxes,
wardrobes, model cars and more.
“Vocational arts crosses all the
curricular areas,” said Otters. “While
working on their vocational and industrial arts projects students conduct
research, use critical thinking skills, write, use mathematical computations,
and utilize technology. I encourage my
students to use the skills they learn in class to fix things around their
house.”
Elemy hopes to continue taking Project
Lead the Way classes in high school and continue building her skills in
vocational and industrial arts.