An introduction.

That essentially is how John Sedgwick Junior High School teacher Jeff Winn viewed his popular Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) booth during Saturday’s Back to School Celebration at South Kitsap High School.

Through Winn’s guidance, youths nailed together wooden toolboxes. He said he chose those because they are simple and useful to students as they went around to the separate booths and collected anything from gum to pencils.

Winn hopes this is just the start of him working on STEM projects in the South Kitsap School District. He wants to shuttle an 8-by-8-foot shed around the district to work with students through his “Build It” program. For example, Winn said he could go to a fifth-grade class and divide it into four teams.

“Each one will select a foreman, just like on a job site,” he said. “I let them do all of the work. When it’s all done, we will tear it apart.”

Winn, who teaches science, then will load the parts into his trailer and take them to the next school where his service is requested.

“I want to show kids they can do some cool things,” he said. “They can work with their hands.”

Winn said he is motivated to work with students on STEM projects because “these programs really helped me out.”

Through the first 2 1/2 hours of the Back to School Celebration, Winn said he worked with 25 students. He also had a partner to assist with others.

“I really feel good when I see what they’ve done,” Winn said.

Among the students who worked with Winn was 10-year-old Alexandria Smith, who is a student at Mullenix Ridge Elementary School.

“It looked fun,” she said when asked why she participated. “I’m going to take it home and paint it.”