A Safer Shop at the School Where It All Started
In 1996, a shop accident at Champaign Central High School set three students on a path that would eventually lead them to build GRIT Automation. In 2026, they came back — and donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to the school.
Central High Improves Workshop Safety
It Started at Central
In 1996, GRIT founder Joel Danowitz watched a classmate get seriously hurt in shop class at Champaign Central High School. The memory stuck.
Years later, in his own shop, his young son powered on a tool with his hand near the blade. The boy was unhurt — but the scare was the catalyst. There was no good way to make sure only trained, authorized people could turn a dangerous tool on. So Joel set out to build one.
GRIT Automation was founded in 2018 by three Champaign Central graduates — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge. Today the platform runs in shops across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In 2026, the founders brought it full circle: a $41,000 workshop safety system, donated to the school where the story began. The Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation named GRIT its 2026 Local Business Community Impact Award recipient.
What the System Does
The same platform GRIT installs everywhere — now protecting students in the shop at Central.
Trained Students Only
RFID badges limit each machine to students who have been trained on it. If a student isn’t certified for a tool, it doesn’t power on.
Automatic Dust Collection
Dust collection turns on the moment a machine runs — no student has to remember, and the air stays cleaner without anyone thinking about it.
Air Quality Monitoring
Sensors track air quality across the shop all day, giving staff a real record of conditions instead of a guess.
Maintenance Scheduling
Built-in reminders keep machines on a maintenance schedule, so equipment stays safe and serviced through the school year.
The View From the Shop
“This is cutting edge — frankly things I haven’t seen before. I didn’t even know were possible,” says Abraham Haile, the Champaign Central CTE teacher who nominated GRIT for the 2026 Community Impact Award.
To give back, and to know that my product is going to ensure that what I saw happen in high school doesn’t happen to someone else.Joel Danowitz · Founder, GRIT Automation · Champaign Central Class Graduate
Press Kit & Contact
- ›GRIT Automation donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to Champaign Central High School, June 2026.
- ›System includes RFID tool-access control, automatic dust collection, air quality monitoring, and maintenance scheduling.
- ›Three founders — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge — are all Champaign Central graduates. Danowitz witnessed a serious shop accident at the school in 1996.
- ›Named 2026 Local Business Community Impact Award recipient by the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation. Covered by WAND News, June 2, 2026.
- › Broadcast-ready b-roll and interview footage (WAND News segment)
- › CUSF testimonial video featuring Abraham Haile and Joel Danowitz
- › Hi-res photography of the Central installation
Interviews available with GRIT founder Joel Danowitz and Champaign Central CTE teacher Abraham Haile.
Champaign, IL
About the Central Donation
What workshop safety system did GRIT install at Champaign Central High School?
A $41,000 workshop safety and automation system. RFID badges limit each machine to students trained on it, dust collection and blast gates run automatically when tools are in use, air quality is monitored across the shop, and maintenance is tracked and scheduled.
Why did GRIT donate the system to Champaign Central?
GRIT’s founders — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge — are all Champaign Central graduates. Danowitz witnessed a serious shop accident at the school in 1996, and later had a near-miss with his young son at home. The donation brings the company’s purpose full circle to where it began.
Where else is GRIT Automation’s system used?
In roughly 500 shops across the United States, Canada, and Australia — including universities, high schools, makerspaces, woodworking clubs, and manufacturers.
Curious how equipment authorization actually works?
How Equipment Authorization WorksSame System. Your Shop.
Whether you run a high school CTE program, a university lab, or a makerspace, we’ll help you build the same kind of system — trained-only access, automatic dust collection, and air monitoring.
A Safer Shop at the School Where It All Started
In 1996, a shop accident at Champaign Central High School set three students on a path that would eventually lead them to build GRIT Automation. In 2026, they came back — and donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to the school.
Central High Improves Workshop Safety
It Started at Central
In 1996, GRIT founder Joel Danowitz watched a classmate get seriously hurt in shop class at Champaign Central High School. The memory stuck.
Years later, in his own shop, his young son powered on a tool with his hand near the blade. The boy was unhurt — but the scare was the catalyst. There was no good way to make sure only trained, authorized people could turn a dangerous tool on. So Joel set out to build one.
GRIT Automation was founded in 2018 by three Champaign Central graduates — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge. Today the platform runs in shops across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In 2026, the founders brought it full circle: a $41,000 workshop safety system, donated to the school where the story began. The Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation named GRIT its 2026 Local Business Community Impact Award recipient.
What the System Does
The same platform GRIT installs everywhere — now protecting students in the shop at Central.
Trained Students Only
RFID badges limit each machine to students who have been trained on it. If a student isn’t certified for a tool, it doesn’t power on.
Automatic Dust Collection
Dust collection turns on the moment a machine runs — no student has to remember, and the air stays cleaner without anyone thinking about it.
Air Quality Monitoring
Sensors track air quality across the shop all day, giving staff a real record of conditions instead of a guess.
Maintenance Scheduling
Built-in reminders keep machines on a maintenance schedule, so equipment stays safe and serviced through the school year.
The View From the Shop
“This is cutting edge — frankly things I haven’t seen before. I didn’t even know were possible,” says Abraham Haile, the Champaign Central CTE teacher who nominated GRIT for the 2026 Community Impact Award.
To give back, and to know that my product is going to ensure that what I saw happen in high school doesn’t happen to someone else.Joel Danowitz · Founder, GRIT Automation · Champaign Central Class Graduate
Press Kit & Contact
- ›GRIT Automation donated a $41,000 workshop safety system to Champaign Central High School, June 2026.
- ›System includes RFID tool-access control, automatic dust collection, air quality monitoring, and maintenance scheduling.
- ›Three founders — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge — are all Champaign Central graduates. Danowitz witnessed a serious shop accident at the school in 1996.
- ›Named 2026 Local Business Community Impact Award recipient by the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation. Covered by WAND News, June 2, 2026.
- › Broadcast-ready b-roll and interview footage (WAND News segment)
- › CUSF testimonial video featuring Abraham Haile and Joel Danowitz
- › Hi-res photography of the Central installation
Interviews available with GRIT founder Joel Danowitz and Champaign Central CTE teacher Abraham Haile.
Champaign, IL
About the Central Donation
What workshop safety system did GRIT install at Champaign Central High School?
A $41,000 workshop safety and automation system. RFID badges limit each machine to students trained on it, dust collection and blast gates run automatically when tools are in use, air quality is monitored across the shop, and maintenance is tracked and scheduled.
Why did GRIT donate the system to Champaign Central?
GRIT’s founders — Joel Danowitz, Marco Nieto, and Jaclyn Aldridge — are all Champaign Central graduates. Danowitz witnessed a serious shop accident at the school in 1996, and later had a near-miss with his young son at home. The donation brings the company’s purpose full circle to where it began.
Where else is GRIT Automation’s system used?
In roughly 500 shops across the United States, Canada, and Australia — including universities, high schools, makerspaces, woodworking clubs, and manufacturers.
Curious how equipment authorization actually works?
How Equipment Authorization WorksSame System. Your Shop.
Whether you run a high school CTE program, a university lab, or a makerspace, we’ll help you build the same kind of system — trained-only access, automatic dust collection, and air monitoring.