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One of the best kept secrets at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School (T-CRVTHS) is its Engineering Technology program. The program introduces students to engineering design, three-dimensional solid modeling, digital circuitry, computer-integrated manufacturing and automation. Students work with professional tools and software while developing problem-solving, critical-thinking and collaboration skills applicable to fields ranging from manufacturing and aerospace to automotive and biomedical engineering.
The program is certified by Project Lead The Way (PLTW) , a national nonprofit that provides STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curricula, and offers opportunities to earn college credit as well as industry-recognized credentials in areas including SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Fusion 360, Six Sigma and advanced manufacturing. Engineering students also gain practical experience through co-ops and project-based work; past students, for example, manufactured components for NASA's HUNCH program destined for use aboard the International Space Station.
According to the space agency, NASA HUNCH (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) is a nationally recognized workforce development program with a 24-year legacy of preparing the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Through immersive Workforce project-based learning, high school students, like those at TCRVTHS gain hands-on experience by designing and fabricating real-world products that are valued and utilized by NASA engineers and astronauts.
NASA HUNCH empowers students to develop essential 21st-century skills—such as critical thinking, collaboration, and technical expertise—by tackling authentic challenges sourced directly from NASA’s ongoing missions.
Students work side-by-side with NASA professionals, contributing to solutions for the International Space Station (ISS) and supporting NASA’s bold Moon to Mars Initiative, ensuring their work has a direct impact on the future of space exploration.
According to Engineering Technology Teacher Angela Batt, Tri-County’s participation in HUNCH dates back more than a decade. “The whole junior [engineering] class of 23 can participate; they divide themselves into teams of 2-5 and then choose one of the 16 available projects to work on.”
Thomas Vagnini, also an Engineering Technology Teacher, said the program usually starts the beginning of the junior year. Halfway through there is a “critical design review” in New Jersey (with teams from other schools). At that point, based on the quality of the work, NASA selects 5-6 teams to convene at Johnson Space Center in Houston for further evaluation. Ultimately, the T-C team came out on top, leading to an invitation to put their engineering experiments through tests at the Glenn research facility in Ohio.
The Tri-County Senior HUNCH team includes Nate Hatami, Maddy Gouck, Lucas Bianco, Sabrina Gaul, and Aidan Forrester. Their work over the summer at NASA Glenn research center in Ohio, is described in an hour-long video, here.. “This is the first time we have had a team still involved with their project as seniors,” Vagnini explained.
