Page 4 - MTWI-Spring-2024

4 eleCtroniC edition: WWW.ManufaCturingtodayWi.CoM

More than $493,000 in fab lab grants announced

Muskego-norway a first-time and high school students, and now, with the
WedC grant, will have a new lab to let ele-
recipient mentary students explore additional avenues
of learning.
the Muskego-Norway school district
is among the f rst-time recipients this year. robert Wray, interim superintendent and
With a $24,700 grant, the district will be able co-director of instructional program, said the
to equip a new lab at Muskego high school, grant is especially timely as the school has
which is now under construction. the steaM been developing a steaM program.\
and health science addition, to be completed “We in the Mosinee school district very
before school begins in the fall, is part of a much want to cultivate the curiosity of our stu-
$44.6 million referendum voters approved two dents and increase student engagement,” Wray
years ago. said. “Fab labs give students the opportunity
a decade ago, Muskego high school’s to create, to explore, and to engage in learning
career and technical education courses, pri- in a very joyful way. that’s really important
marily computer classes, were housed in the to us.”
high school basement. in time, Cte claimed typically, middle and high school fab
more space, driven by increasing student inter- labs are high-tech workshops equipped with
est and the demands of parents, businesses, computer-controlled manufacturing compo-
and industry for more hands-on learning on nents such as 3d printers, laser engravers,
the latest equipment. in the fall, the Cte pro- computer numerical control (CNC) routers,
grams will have a new home in the steaM and plasma cutters.
and health science addition. the equipment list for the Mosinee
two veteran educators—James Michlig, elementary school lab includes a 3doodlers-
college, career, and experimental learning Classroom set, an aquasprouts aquarium
the Wisconsin economic development Racine Unif ed School District – coordinator, and andrew bavlnka, director of garden system, a weather station to incorpo-
rate into steM and tech lessons, and 3d and
Corporation (WedC) has announced that $25,000 secondary student learning, who will be the bambu printers.
18 school districts will receive more than Tri County School District, Plainf eld new high school principal in the fall—have in another twist on traditional fab labs,
$493,000 in “fab lab” grants to train students – $25,000 watched the programs grow and are awed by the elementary workshop will be on wheels
in science, technology, engineering, arts, and the opportunities students will have. so teachers can move one unit or another into
mathematics (steaM) skills and prepare school districts that were repeat winners in the beginning, the school’s steaM their classrooms to use from week to week –
them for careers using advanced technologies. of grants this year and their awards (with year program “started in the basement, and now effectively making it a mobile lab.
since the program’s inception in 2016, of previous award noted) are: we’re putting it in one of the most visible
WedC has awarded 211 grants totaling more CESA 3 (Consortium) – Fennimore spaces in our district,” said bavlnka. “a shop
than $5 million to 125 school districts across (2023) – $47,396 class in 1985 is not what a shop class has to
the state. Countless fab lab students have ben- Fall River School District (2019) – look like today and beyond. these are clean mosineeschools.org
ef ted from career and technical education $25,000 production facilities. Kids are working on
(Cte), which has evolved with a steaM Hayward Community School District computers in very professional environments,
emphasis. (2019 & 2023) – $25,000 and they’re making things. We’re going to see Courtesy of the Wisconsin Economic
a fab lab, short for fabrication labora- Nekoosa School District (2021) – kids who maybe didn’t know what tech ed has Development Corporation
tory, is a high-technology workshop equipped $25,000 for them, a chance to shine in tech ed.”
with computer-controlled manufacturing com- School District of New Lisbon (2020) –
ponents such as 3d printers, laser engravers, $25,000
computer numerical control (CNC) routers, muskegonorway.org
and plasma cutters. through its Fab labs School District of Random Lake
Grant Program, WedC is supporting the pur- (2020) – $24,300
chase of fab lab equipment for instructional Croix Central School District (2016) –
and educational purposes for K-12 students $25,000
across the state. Washington Island School District
to receive a fab lab grant, districts must (2020 & 2021) – $25,000 Mosinee’s fab lab grant
provide matching funds equal to half of the Waunakee Community School District
award. as a result, the schools and the state (2016, 2017 &2018) – $25,000 slated for elementary school
this year will invest at least $750,000 in Weyauwega-Fremont School District Another f rst-time recipient, the Mosinee
science, technology, engineering, arts, and (2023) – $25,000 school district received a $25,000 grant from
mathematics (steaM) education in K-12 the WedC to equip a new fab lab in its ele-
schools throughout Wisconsin. Whitehall School District (Consor- mentary school.
the new grant recipients this year and tium) (2019) – $50,000 a fab lab, short for fabrication laboratory,
their awards are: in addition to the grants, WedC has provides students with hands-on, high-tech
Butternut School District – $22,000 developed a fab lab resource page for its learning opportunities in science, technology,
Deerf eld Community School District website that provides districts with informa- engineering, art, and Mathematics (steaM)
– $25,000 tion on how to set up and equip a fab lab, how courses.
DeForest Area School District – to implement best practices to ensure a suc- although funding is available for labs
cessful fab lab and more.
$25,000 For more information on the state’s fab in all grades, nearly 80 percent of the WedC
Mosinee School District – $25,000 labs, including resources for teachers, visit grants have been for middle and high school
fab labs.
Muskego-Norway School District – wedc.org/fablabs or follow #WiFablab on the district has a fab lab serving middle
$24,700 twitter.