QVPI High School Competition

The High School Plastics Expo
The High School Plastics Expo initiated by a suggestion from high school students to promote plastics’ as a career. Each year High Schools and Companies volunteer to participate in a competition to create a prototype of a plastic product for presentation at an Expo. The partners have to use a process and the capability of the matched company to invent, produce, market and sell a product. The school has to document each step of the process, stay within a budget, complete by the due date and present their product at the Expo. Emphasis is on the learning experience and the knowledge gained. The school has to learn as much as possible about the company and its products with whom they are matched. The schools are judged on the following criteria and prizes are presented to the winners:

Documentation – Book and Story Board
Design Efforts – Drawings
Physics – Materials, Tools, Tests
Market Plans
Media Relations – video, commercial
Chemistry – Conduct experiments on material
Public Speaking – Presentation at Expo
Creativity, uniqueness, product solution, functionality, craftsmanship and aesthetics

High Schools that have participated in the Expos include but are not limited to:

Putnam High School
Killingly High School
Woodstock High School
Tourtellotte High School
Windham High School
Plainfield High School

Companies that have participated in the Expos include but are not limited to:

Gentex Optics
Foster corporation
Colt’s Plastics
Putnam Precision Molding, inc.
Putnam Plastics, Inc.
Phillips Moldex Inc. & Westminster Tool, Inc. (partnering together)
FilmX Technology

Thank you to our Judges 2003-2007:

• Jonathan Faucher, Foster Corporation
• Ian Webster, Gentex Optics
• Amy Trwydzylo – Rogers Corporation
• Robert Furst, Westminster Tool
• James Abromaitis, commissioner DECD
• Joe Bak, hawk Integrated Plastics
• David Baty, QVCC
• Susan Breault, QVCC
• John Firlik, Spirol International Corporation
• Mark Vesligaj Jagotrab, QVCC
• Vishnu Khade, QVCC
• Keith Meagher, Putnam Plastics Corporation
• Jim Evans, FilmX Technologies
• Oley Carpp, DECD
• Margie Huoppi, QVCC

Prizes:

• Trophy for Best Overall
• Trophy for People’s Choice Award
• Trophy is a Lexan plastic purge design with metal insert plate (clear or lightly colored)       made by Colt’s Plastics.
• Certificate of Achievement – High School
• Certificate of Appreciation – company
• Gift Certificate to one QVCC course of student’s choice
   • One certificate per school
   • Student chosen by school

QVPI High School Expo Grand Prize Winners:

• April 2004    Putnam High School /Colt’s Plastics                              Lynx
• March 2005 Tourtellotte High School /Foster Corporation                Tiger License
•                                                                                                            Plate Holder
• May 2006     Tourtellotte High School/Foster Corporation                   Stirrins
• May 2007     Tourtellotte High School/Putnam Precision Molding    Hammock
• May 2008      Killingly High School – Winner of the Judges’ Choice Award for their product Plast-X Bags, a "green" product made from scrap material which is water-proof, stain resistant and washable. (See photo at left.)

Plainfield High School – Winner of the People's Choice Award for their product Dr. Tap. This is a refrigerator bottle that retains carbonization and can dispense beverages without being removed from the refrigerator.