Students in a class at Wilbur Cross High School work in a print shop that creates signs and other printed materials that are distributed throughout New Haven.
Tucked away inside Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, the whir of printing machines lasts the whole school day and beyond.
Millions of pages a year come out of the high school and are spread to classrooms, hallways in all 44 New Haven schools and beyond.
“I hope to know how to work every machine in this print shop,” said Luis Rodriguez, a sophomore working in the print shop about his goals for the year.
We caught up with him and a partner while the class continued to work on printing over 20,000 spiral bound school calendars, destined for the homes of students within the district.
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“Sometimes you, you catch some of our things that we make here. So, something that we print," Rodriguez said.
With examples of the students' hard work scattered all over the district, the print shop proves its value repeatedly, for the students and the schools.
“The kids will not only design, but print, they’ll cut, they’ll bind it,” teacher and print shop director Anthony Latella said.
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Latella said the skills students learn encompass the print and digital side of the operation - how to run the machines, how to design the prints and how to put all the work together.
But he also said students learn valuable skills that translate to any job, including time management, communication, being on time and being responsible for the product being produced.
“It is someone’s work when it comes out of here, so it teaches them it’s not just something to do fast, it’s something to take responsibility for and take pride in your work,” Latella said.
But you won't just find the work confined to district walls, but street corners and city buildings.
“I think it's brilliant, it gives kids a chance for what they want to do maybe and learn skills,” Nancy Dennett said when she found out a bright poster welcoming people to the East Rock neighborhood was created by Wilbur Cross students.
Passersby were intrigued to hear about the print shop program after finding out a poster they had passed dozens of times was created in the hands of students.
“They’ll be walking down the street and say, 'I made that,'” Latella said of students who live in New Haven.
He said of the millions of sheets printed annually, many are for city departments like the health department, police or public works. He referenced the posters warning drivers of street sweeping or paving that was imminent, asking people to keep their cars away from the curb.
Latella said city projects cost the city only about a third of the cost it would take them to outsource the projects. Savings he said range on projects for city departments between 40 and 75% off the commercial price.
Students like Rodriguez found they love the work quickly. He has applied to work after school for the print shop so he can earn some money through the city's Youth@Work program - a larger initiative providing city youth jobs at city departments, nonprofits and businesses across the Elm City.
But, during the school day, he said the class is simply a highlight of his high school experience.
“Yeah, I found that I like the print shop. I like this class,” Rodriguez said.
Other students even say based on the work they have done so far; they could see a future using these same skills.
“Like, I'm proud of myself and I'm accomplishing something,” junior Joshua Hererra said.
Herrera has already felt the pride of seeing his work inside his school and beyond. He's had the opportunity to do work for the school, and the city at large.
He isn’t 100% sure what he wants to do down the line, but believes what he has done so far definitely intrigues him.
“I was trying to find a pathway to do after high school, but like, since I came to a shop, I realized I have a passion for this,” Herrera said.
