Caleb Smith, TechHOUNDS member and junior, and Derek Fronek, TechHOUNDS member and sophomore, examine a piece of hardware in the industrial technology (I.T.) hallway. Smith, Fronek and other TechHOUNDS members are seeking sponsorships from local businesses to pay for the TechHOUNDS season.​

According to Allison Cunningham, construction lead and senior, TechHOUNDS is currently preparing for its Women in Technology Workshop (WTW) on Saturday while also seeking sponsorships for expenses during the season.

“(WTW) kind of aims to get middle school girls involved in technology, science, math, engineering, STEM. And so we reach out to middle school girls; 50 to 60 come to the school and we have little stations they can rotate around, including chemistry, cad, vex robotics, programming/LEDs and egg drop. It’s like a four to five hour workshop and they come here and learn about stuff,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham also mentioned that TechHOUNDS is seeking sponsorships for their season.

“During the preseason we go out and get sponsorships,” Cunningham said. “It’s a tax deduction for (the sponsors); they’re supporting us and it helps us pay for our competitions and our robot, because for each (competition) it’s $5,000 and then we have to build a robot, which cost about $16,000 last year for all the parts that we purchased combined.”

John Coghlan, TechHOUNDS mentor and engineering and technology department chairperson, said that while seeking sponsorships and preparing for WTW, TechHOUNDS will continue to meet regularly on Thursdays after school.

“We’ve been doing a lot of team building; kids are learning tools and learning the divisions that we have,” Coghlan said. “It’s just been a lot of fun and a chance to get to know each other better.”