Normal Community Tech Dept

10/14/2026

Illinois State engineering student Isaiah Kerr is researching how small changes in design can make mechanical components stronger and safer. As the College of Engineering at Illinois State University's first FIREbird grant recipient, Kerr worked with Dr. Hafizur Rahman to test different notch designs using 3D-printed components and computer simulations. Read the latest issue of to learn how Kerr is gaining hands-on research experience as Illinois State’s engineering program takes shape. ▶️ https://go.illinoisstate.edu/4ywDnqL

10/05/2026

It was an honor for the NCHS Advanced Metalworking class to create the memorial bench inspired by Cadens love for welding.

Honoring Caden Lovins | Memorial Bench Dedication 🧡⚽
Please join us as our Ironmen soccer family comes together to honor and remember the unforgettable life, spirit, and legacy of Caden Lovins.
On Thursday, October 15th, a memorial bench will be dedicated in Caden’s honor at the NCHS soccer fields. The dedication ceremony will take place between the JV and Varsity soccer games at approximately 5:45 PM.
Caden touched so many lives both on and off the field. We invite all friends, family, alumni, and community members to join us in supporting his family and celebrating the lasting mark he left on our Ironmen soccer program.
📅 Date: Thursday, October 15th
⏰ Time: ~5:45 PM (between JV & Varsity games)
📍 Location: NCHS Soccer Fields
Please come lend your support, share your memories, and help us honor Caden. 🖤🧡

10/01/2026

NCHS MakerSpace is up and running at full steam!!!! Thank you Mr. Emberson for taking the time to help the STEM Capstone student design and create wooden laser and plastic 3d printed tops. The students are learning about STEM behind TOPs with Newton’s FIRST LAW OF MOTION.

05/26/2026

For the second year in a row, we’re proud to announce Normal Community High School has been named a PLTW 2025-26 Distinguished School for their commitment to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW Computer Science and Engineering programs.

Our students have excelled at problem solving, teamwork, and content knowledge by having several students score in the top 1% on the PLTW National Assessment in both Computer Science and Engineering.

05/23/2026

March madness in May??? Our intro to metal students had fun seeing who was the best stick welder in each of their classes on our final week of regular classes. The last person standing from each class received a golden electrode and bragging rights for the summer!

05/19/2026

At the KidWind Worlds Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, NCHS STEM Capstone students continue to exhibit unwavering dedication. Two NCHS teams are competing against 125 international wind turbine teams from various locations, including Taiwan, China, Mexico, and nearly every U.S. state, including Alaska. The assessment criteria comprise turbine power generation efficiency across four distinct wind tunnel settings, proficiency in two impromptu problem-solving exercises, performance on a written examination, and the team's ability to effectively present their project in a 20-minute presentation. Let’s go Liam, Joel, Sam and Leon.

05/13/2026

Our Trades presentations finished strong with Stark Excavating. Kristin and Ryan shared with our students how to join different trades, go to specific schools, and even join their company. Then our students had the opportunity to check out two pieces of heavy equipment. Our stem capstone students had lots of questions about how the graders GPS system worked. Thank you Stark Excavating for donating your time and machines!

05/06/2026

Today's STEM Capstone learning experience focused on investigating the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370, where we designed and operated ROVs in a pool setting to simulate the actual search operations.

05/03/2026

Way to go!!!!

05/01/2026

Day 4 of our trades week continued today with our students getting the chance to learn about becoming a carpenter. Our guest speaker, Brandon, taught our students how to join the local carpenters union and then gave our students some hands-on experiences as well. Students worked with different laser levels and framed with some metal studs!