Big Spring SD Students Engage through 3D Printing Club and TinkerCad

Posted by & filed under Powered by Questeq.

In early 2019, elementary students at our partner school, Big Spring School District, had the opportunity to attend a club to learn engineering design using TinkerCad and to have exposure to 3D printing.  The club met two days a week after school for a period of eight weeks.  The idea came about as a spin-off from activities explored during the school’s weekly Genius Hour. When the Principal at Oak Flat Elementary asked for Questeq’s help to facilitate the club we were eager to get involved.  The club leadership consisted of Mike Fronk, Questeq Infrastructure Engineer, Becky Coulson, Teacher, Mary Hunt, Elementary Education Technologist, and Rob Krepps, Questeq Technology Director.

Oak Flat Elementary Students

During the first week of the club we helped each student create a TinkerCad account and introduced the program’s basic operation and tools.

We learned early on that most of the students wanted to jump ahead with their many ideas for projects.  We challenged them to keep the printing process in mind during the design sessions, as well as cutting complex designs into printable objects so they would lay flat on the TinkerCad Workplane. In addition, they needed to convert millimeters to inches to figure out the size of the object.  The students played an online quiz game to test their knowledge and skills about TinkerCad and to reinforce everything they learned during earlier club meetings.

One of the projects involved designing balloon powered cars.  The students in each team designed a set of wheels and a car body. The winning designs were printed and used to construct the car, with a team designed engine. The students were able to decide where they wanted to attach the engine and how small or large to make the exhaust hole.  In between club sessions, we printed the components and during club time the students assembled the cars, tested, and made changes to the design.  The grand finale for the car design project was a competition to see which car traveled the farthest.

Balloon Powered Cars

Overall the club was a big success.  The students were engaged, had fun, and, most importantly, had the opportunity to learn something new and possibly develop a passion for engineering.

– Robert Krepps, Questeq Technology Director @ Big Spring School District

Questeq Team Member Cycles for Multiple Sclerosis Research

Posted by & filed under Team Member Spotlight, Questeq Cares.


In September, we shared a cycling event that Steve Leslie, Questeq Technology Specialist at Aliquippa School District, was participating in to benefit the TinyHands Foundation. In June, Steve will be hitting the road again with his bike to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research. As always, Questeq values the community outreach efforts of our employees and we are happy to spread the word to our partners and friends.

On June 8th and 9th, 2019, cyclists will be traveling between sixty and one hundred miles each day, beginning in Moraine State Park, Portersville, PA and ending in Conneaut Township Park, Conneaut, OH. The money that is raised will be used to find the cause, treatment and ultimately the cure for multiple sclerosis. The money is also used to provide education, information, direct financial support and scholarships to individuals and families living with MS.

We asked Steve how he got involved with these charities and why they are important to him, and here is what he had to say, “I started doing charity rides around 1998 when I did my first MS 150 ride, which benefits Multiple Sclerosis research. This summer will be my 10th time riding the MS 150 ride, which I have done each year since my brother-in-law was diagnosed.”

If you are interested in learning more or donating to the ride, please visit the donation page by clicking the link below.

Donate or Learn More

Director of Marketing Joins Questeq

Posted by & filed under Team Member Spotlight, In the News.

I am pleased to announce Mr. Jared Souder as Questeq’s Director of Marketing. Jared will be responsible for brand development, lead generation and customer success. In addition, he will be a valuable contributor in the areas of competitive sales and business strategies.

He brings over a decade of leadership experience focused on marketing and business development in industries ranging from telecom to social services, and in organizations ranging from startup to Fortune 50.  His work has been recognized in the past through numerous media outlets, including Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 as an honoree.  Jared is a veteran and former officer in the United States Army.  He holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a BS in Business Administration from Youngstown State University.

I am confident he will be a great addition to the Questeq leadership team. Over the next three months, Jared will be meeting with many of our people, learning our processes, learning our culture and how we do business.  We look forward to having Jared on the team.

Director of Business Administration Speaks to Students at BCCTC

Posted by & filed under In the News.

Our partner school, Beaver County Career and Technical Center, has a new initiative to engage local school students with employers to learn about future career options and the benefits of vocational schools. As Director of Business Administration at Questeq, I was honored to be the first professional speaker in this series of events.

Having worked with BCCTC in different capacities over the past 10 years, I have learned how important the vocational school is in preparing students for their futures using skill-based learning. I was never introduced to the option of attending a vocational school when I was in high school, and I wonder if my career path would’ve been different if I was able to hone my love of cooking with BCCTC’s culinary arts program. I addressed this with the visiting students from Central Valley SD and how my career path has been carved out over the years. In addition, I shared the potential technology careers available to students at Questeq and the importance of giving back to our local communities and beyond.

It was a great experience to connect with students and give them the power to start thinking about their futures now rather than later.

You can read more about the speaker series by visiting the BCCTC website.

West Allegheny School District Participates in First Annual Christmas Card Design Contest

Posted by & filed under Powered by Questeq.

For our company Christmas card this year, we wanted to showcase the talented students and teachers that make-up our partner schools. Questeq selected the West Allegheny High School as our first showcase art department.  We worked with Dr. Jerri Lippert and Questeq’s Technology Director, Doug Costa, to implement the contest.

Several talented students submitted their artwork for the contest. Questeq’s corporate team was tasked with choosing the winning design to be featured for 2018. High school senior, Anne Marie Lusardi, was ultimately selected as the winner for her “Merry Sniffmas” design. For their participation, both Anne Marie and the art department received special recognition and a thank you gift from Questeq.

Congratulations to Anne Marie for winning our 1st annual design contest! We wish you much success as you continue to develop your talents!

We have already selected the partner school that will be participating with us in 2019 and look forward to seeing their creative designs.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from our Questeq family to yours!