Summit High’s Ski & Bike Tech – a Different Way to Learn

Tom Lutke is the social studies, bike tech and ski tuning teacher at Summit High School. The programs are part of Summit High’s Career & Technology Education programs and offer hands-on education options for all students. Tom recently received an Eileen Finkel Innovative Teacher Award to add boot molding to his class and took a moment to talk with us.

Early on in your teaching career at Summit High School, the bike tech and ski tuning programs didn’t exist. Why did you take this on as your personal mission?

Several years ago when Christy Sports came to the school with the idea of a ski tuning program, I went to the principal, Drew Adkins, and said, “I want to teach this.” I had worked in ski shops prior to obtaining my teaching degree at Metro State University in Denver, and I felt this was something we could get the community to support. The principal said, “You have the qualifications and you can have the class, but we don’t have a space for the class or money for it. So you’ll need to write some grants.” The first year I received funding from Christy Sports and EFS, through the Eileen Finkel Innovative Teacher Awards, for basic hand tools and materials.

And you still didn’t have a classroom?

I found a group of kids who were willing to take the class outside on the football field. On some days the kids would have to shovel snow before class could start. By the second year there was enough interest for a second class, and I went to the principal again and said, “If we’re going to teach this in the winter we need some indoor space.” So I got a hallway. We used a hallway, which we called “the room to nowhere.” I got a ski tune machine and more equipment  through grants. After two years of indoor success SHS began the $30 million renovation [funded by the 2016 bond passed thanks to taxpayers] and asked me what I’d need for a space. So we designed a classroom with ski tuning machines and now we have four different levels of  classes, made possible through donations, grants, and the school support. 

How did the bike tech program start?

I said to the principal, “We’re doing great but it’s only half the industry. I think we need a bike mechanics class.” He said, “OK, if you can raise the money, go for it.” I went to BGV Gives, Climax Molybdenum, EFS and got funding. Then this outside entity sent me an email and asked, “Are you interested in starting a bike mechanics class at your school?” I thought, there’s no way this is a real email, this is too good to be true. It was from Project Bike Tech and that is exactly what they do. We didn’t have to have a slow start to the class. We had an incredible setup from day one.

So that’s how I got into teaching ski and bike tech all day long.

Is this a dream job for you?

I never could have dreamed this up. It’s more than a dream job. When I got the green light, I realized we could make this school incredible. We’ve never seen another school with a ski tuning program like we do, and I’ve looked. This is 100% the thing in my career that I’m most proud of: where it started, where it is today, and where it can go.

I love teaching young people. I love their honesty. When I walk in the door wearing something that doesn’t match they’ll say, “You’re wearing that today?!” I love their curiosity. They’re super fun to be around. 

How do you manage teaching this during the pandemic?

I’m so excited we’re all back in the building. These classes are hands-on and the best way to learn ski tuning, boot fitting, and bike mechanics is doing it. I actually think in a year like that classes like that are more important because kids are spending so much time on their screens. I never let them bring their Chromebooks out of their packs when they were in class and we used every minute with hands-on learning. Kids were excited to be there. It’s a change of pace.

Who takes your classes?

Most ski tech students are 1) avid skiers and snowboarders, or 2) they want a hands-on class. Some kids will tell me they don’t like to ski or snowboard, and then I ask if they like to use their hands or if they like to fix, create, and problem solve. If they say yes then I ask them to give it a try. Most kids say, “I like this class because it’s so different from my other classes.”

We have some avid bikers and we have a great bike team. We have lots of kids who aren’t into biking but like working with the tools. People that have an engineering  mindset tend to love the class. 

Sometimes kids who aren’t as strong in the general ed classroom can be a shining star once they get tools in their hands. 

It’s a different type of learning. When they’re “doing” the learning they get a good grade and the kids love that.  

What do you hear from parents?

“I wish we’d had that class when I was a student.” I get very positive feedback. 

What kind of support do you receive from the community?

Parents, businesses, and other organizations understand how well it fits into the community. 

There are job opportunities for the kids when they finish the classes. The local ski shop community is welcoming our students with open arms once they go through the program. The students have a good understanding and have good entry level knowledge. We’ve also placed kids at bike shops, and those students get a Mechanic Level 1 certification through Project Bike Tech, and on the certificate it lists all the skills they learned.

What’s on the horizon?

This year we’re partnering with Summit Rotary and Wilderness Sports. We’re taking bike donations, repairing them is taking in donations for bikes, we’re repairing them, and Rotary is shipping them to Honduras. The bike tech students will get started on the bikes this spring. I’m really excited about this.