When Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club member Brooks Blake considered finding someone to create a wraparound graphic for the organization’s trailer, he could have kept the project in the family.

“My two sons are graphic designers,” he said.

Instead, Blake and the club decided to get on the same wavelength with Marble Falls High School teacher Jim Bryant’s graphic design class.

“When Mr. Bryant called and suggested the idea, I thought it was a great idea,” Blake said. “It’s a chance for the club not only to be more involved in the community, but a chance for the kids to also get some community involvement.”

Blake parked the trailer in front of the high school Feb. 14 so students could take measurements, note the shape and ask questions. After the meeting, the students returned to class and broke up into four-member teams.

The project provides the class with real-world experience that benefits not just themselves, but a group that helps residents and first-responders by coordinating communications during a crisis, educators said.

The trailer is also parked at athletic and recreational events.

“A lot of times when we do something in class, students will ask, ‘Why are we doing this? Is this just busy work?’ Well, with this it’s an actual project helping a community organization,” Bryant said.

Each of the four-student teams will design a graphic for consideration. The club members and/or officers will judge the designs and pick one.

Bryant said the competition gives students a taste of what they’ll face in the professional market.

Blake gave the students some suggestions about the design.

“We want something that is eye-catching,” Blake said. “We do a lot of training  by helping at these cycling and running events around the area. So we’ll have the trailer parked at these things and we want something that will stand out.”

The students will present their designs to the club by March 9.

Source: www.dailytrib.com - Daniel Clifton