Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Middle Schoolers Take on Big Brand Packaging Projects

Challenged to invent packaging systems for the likes of Apple and Ford, these middle schoolers impressed both in the pack designs themselves, and their ability to communicate their reasoning.

Schematic for a iPhone starter kit, as imagined by middle schoolers and presented to a packaging professional from Apple.
Schematic for a iPhone starter kit, as imagined by middle schoolers and presented to a packaging professional from Apple.

Packaging engineers from Ford, Apple, Lumi, Pfizer, and Kalamazoo Gourmet got the benefit of a fresh view of their own packaging efforts through the lens of 45 fifth grade remote students at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette, Ill. In December, representatives from the brands had challenged the students to come up with ways to package their respective products, and were rewarded with a presentation of the results in May. Apple

The students’ virtual presentation capped off months of material research, consumer understanding, idea-generating, and prototype making. In conjunction with the Michigan State University School of Packaging, the engineers also delivered a presentation about packaging as a career choice. They then challenged the students by offering a unique packaging problem for them to solve with one or more of their products. A variety of items, including glass vials, disposable masks, grilling accessories, candles, and even an iPhone Welcome Bundle were offered up, and the students chose which challenge excited them the most.

“During our unique year of online learning, this was the perfect project to get students into teams and problem-solving,” says Matt Aho, math and science teacher at Highcrest. “Not only does this activity align with our science standards, but it hits all the 21st Century Skills we want students to have, especially critical thinking, creativity, information literacy, and flexibility.” Aho, a packaging degree holder, had previously worked with MSU and engineers at KraftHeinz to have students redesign packaging for some of their existing products. “That project was a real highlight of my teaching career, so I knew we had to try something like that again.”

Conveying Innovations Report
Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
Take me there
Conveying Innovations Report
Researched List: Engineering Services Firms
Looking for engineering services? Our curated list features 100+ companies specializing in civil, process, structural, and electrical engineering. Many also offer construction, design, and architecture services. Download to access company names, markets served, key services, contact information, and more!
Download Now
Researched List: Engineering Services Firms