Students have recently begun to use Oak Park High School’s 3D design classroom’s unit for student creativity: a glass studio.

“It’s been about six or seven years in the making. A lot of work has been done by a lot of good people over the years,” 3D design teacher Ian Fulmer wrote to the Talon.

With the studio, students are able to fuse, slump and cast glass while adding a variety of colors to express their creativity. These projects stay in the kiln for half an hour, and cool down in 4-6 hours.

“It’s beautiful and our students feel very accomplished and proud to have a skill they can keep with them forever,” Fulmer wrote. “Glass science and design make all of our technology possible.” 

OPHS students have expressed enjoyment regarding the new opportunities for creative expression.

“As someone who took glass-making classes from ages six to nine, I was excited to find out that I had the opportunity to get back into it,” freshman Noya Rapoport said. 

Having access to a glass kiln for student use is not a common resource in most high schools, and thus it has been an appreciated addition to OPHS. 

“We now have something very special that would be hard to find at another high school,” Fulmer wrote. “Words aren’t enough to say how amazing this is and how proud I think we should be.”