May 29, 2014 - UTI Instructors and Staff Build Tricycles for Local Goodwill

Bill Oakley, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida and Steve McElfresh, president of UTI-Orlando.

All it took were two hundred instructors and staff, 20 minutes and one tricycle kit under each table.

At the sound of the whistle, everyone leaped to action – tearing open boxes, “buying” tools at the makeshift garage at the front of the stage, wrenching and hammering – all as part of the kickoff to UTI-Orlando’s 2014 Staff Development Day.

“When most people think of staff development, they think of long hours, never-ending lectures and countless PowerPoints,” said Steve McElfresh, president of UTI-Orlando. “We wanted something different, so we replicated what we do so well in the classroom – and that’s being hands-on.”

To put a twist on things, the icebreaker also had a philanthropic element. The box that was under each table contained a tricycle set that, once built, would be donated to Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. The nonprofit often donates items to local organizations in need, and these trikes will soon be presented to a local preschool.

“We’re grateful for all our donors, and it was quite the experience to see these donations being built in front of our eyes,” said Bill Oakley, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “We’re so thankful for UTI’s generosity and enthusiasm. I’m confident the same look of excitement that we had on our faces will be the same expression we’ll see on the class full of preschoolers.”

In addition to building the tricycles, each team was assigned a project manager, who could only provide instruction. The teams were also allotted a certain amount of funds that helped them “buy” the appropriate tools to complete the assignment.

“We didn’t want to plan just another task to take up time,” added McElfresh. “By creating a smaller-scale, real-world environment and adding in the community engagement aspect, our team was able to have fun and learn – all before 9 a.m.!”

At the end of the activity, which took place on May 16, UTI-Orlando donated 30 tricycles to Goodwill Industries of Central Florida.