Mr. @Alex_Lee in true form of the wonderful program you are heading up, cut it forward. Here is a set of plates for your first contestant.
They are not perfect, this was many tools ago, but they will get someone’s spindle turning.
That’s going to make someone’s day!
Yes. I bought myself a set a few weeks before the program starts.
How do I put someone’s name on the list?
@Alex_Lee Very true! I realized that after you posted about getting the other parts first. When I started getting parts, the first thing I bought was a set of plates. I had assumed everyone would have started the same way. 
When I started, I had my plates cut from acrylic from a local maker group’s laser. Once everything is assembled, I will swap the acrylic plates for the metal plates so I can cut wood better.
Can you cut aluminum with acrylic plates? I have a guy here at my airport who said he could cut me 1/4" acrylic.
Slowly…