Sticker Mule field trip offers close-up view of IT in action

Students in Rachel Heroth’s App FUNdamentals class at Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School got a close-up view of information technology (IT) applications and explored a range of IT career opportunities during an April 14, 2022, trip to Sticker Mule in Amsterdam.

But before they even left on their trip, the students participated in a design challenge to create a logo for their high school’s Computer Science program.

The winning logo design was created by Andra Fuhs and Madison Delgado. The students used software to adjust and convert the image so it could be cut out of heat-transfer vinyl, which they then used to create t-shirts.

During their tour of Sticker Mule, the students viewed a similar process, on a larger scale with industrial size equipment.

“At Sticker Mule, the class toured the facility and witnessed sticker printing, cutting, and packaging processes,” Heroth said. “Sticker Mule’s  chief technology officer explained the technology involved in each step on the production floor and what went into the development of the programs that are vital to the company’s success.

“After the tour, students attended a presentation given by IT department members at the Amsterdam location and members who video-conferenced in from Brazil. The class learned what aspects of computer science and programming languages are used in different operations of the company.”

The presentation also highlighted different career paths in information technology, and values that technology leaders seek in employees. “It was really cool to hear how much the directors value hard work and computer science skills,” said Tucker Jones, a 12th grade student.

Students capped their field trip by receiving “swag bags,” which included their logo design on two different sticker materials and a variety of Sticker Mule products.