A $1 million D214 Education Foundation donation from Buffalo Grove alumnus Steve Yacktman to create the Saul Ploplys Automation and Technology Lab gave Buffalo Grove High School a learning opportunity of which many schools can only dream.

But for all its cutting-edge features, the lab doesn’t teach students on its own. That requires teachers who are figuring out how to maximize the learning experience for students. Which is why Buffalo Grove CTE teacher Phil Tschammer’s vision has been instrumental to the lab’s early successes.