Page 4 - TTWISummer2024

STEM
Page 4 Electronic Edition: www .teachingtodaywi .com

More than $493,000 in Fab Lab Grants announced

equipment for instructional and educational pur- $25,000
poses for K-12 students across the state. • Hayward Community School District
To receive a fab lab grant, districts must (2019 & 2023) – $25,000
provide matching funds equal to half of the • Nekoosa School District (2021) –
award. As a result, the schools and the state this $25,000
year will invest at least $750,000 in science,
technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics • School District of New Lisbon (2020) –
(STEAM) education in K-12 schools throughout $25,000
Wisconsin. • School District of Random Lake
The new grant recipients this year and their (2020) – $24,300
awards are: • Croix Central School District (2016) –
• Butternut School District – $22,000 $25,000
• Deerfield Community School District • Washington Island School District
– $25,000 (2020 & 2021) – $25,000
• DeForest Area School District – • Waunakee Community School District
$25,000 (2016, 2017 &2018) – $25,000
• Mosinee School District – $25,000 • Weyauwega-Fremont School District
• Muskego-Norway School District – (2023) – $25,000
$24,700 • Whitehall School District (Consor-
• Racine Unified School District – tium) (2019) – $50,000
The Wisconsin economic Development state. Countless fab lab students have benefited $25,000 In addition to the grants, WEDC has
Corporation (WEDC) has announced that 18 from career and technical education (CTE), • Tri County School District, Plainfield developed a fab lab resource page for its
school districts will receive more than $493,000 which has evolved with a STeAM emphasis. – $25,000 website that provides districts with informa-
in “fab lab” grants to train students in science, A fab lab, short for fabrication laboratory, School districts that were repeat winners tion on how to set up and equip a fab lab, how
technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics is a high-technology workshop equipped with of grants this year and their awards (with year to implement best practices to ensure a suc-
(STeAM) skills and prepare them for careers computer-controlled manufacturing components of previous award noted) are: cessful fab lab and more.
using advanced technologies. such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer • CESA 3 (Consortium) – Fennimore For more information on the state’s fab
Since the program’s inception in 2016, numerical control (CNC) routers, and plasma (2023) – $47,396 labs, including resources for teachers, visit
WEDC has awarded 211 grants totaling more cutters. Through its Fab Labs Grant Program, • Fall River School District (2019) – wedc.org/fablabs or follow #WIFabLab on
than $5 million to 125 school districts across the WEDC is supporting the purchase of fab lab Twitter.

STEM Shuttle Gives Students Space Washington Island Team Finishes

to Learn! 19th in World Continued from Page 1

as structural engineer, and helped to modify erly except one during the challenge. When she
her team’s ROV and make it faster and more manipulated the ROV to pick up a cup and then
maneuverable by cutting the pipes and making place it somewhat precariously over a peg, the
the ROV smaller than it was when the team bubbles knocked it off.
started design in the fall and competitions in Sullivan said all of the students did a great
winter. job.
The Sea Perch teams use a motherboard, In addition to competing and mingling with
solder and motors, some of which are provided students from around the world, the students
in Sea Perch kits. Tug, a sixth-grade student, took the train to the National Mall in Washing-
was in charge of the battery-powered motors ton, DC, to see memorials and other sights.
and soldering to connect them to the mother- Kinsey said she liked learning about sol-
board. dering and building motors. She said both last
Instructor and team leader Matt Sullivan year and with her team this year from October
said the Fast and Furious team successfully through May, she learned numerous skills that
The STEM Shuttle is in its 19th year of “From an engineer’s point of view, the made the motor that propels the ROV down- made her think of various new pathways she can
docking at schools in Wisconsin. The program, designed tasks the kids take part in are very ward in the water more powerful than the one pursue.
incorporating space travel and hands-on work- thought provoking and exciting to watch. The used for rising, and the buoyancy from the pool She also noted that her teammates have
stations, is designed for grades 4 - 8. Up to 10 three instructors are well prepared and cer- noodles did most of the work when moving two or three more years to compete in the
students per session are challenged at a series tainly enjoy having the children participate. upward in the water column. middle school division and to build upon what
of hands-on workstations assisted by our It was even my experience to share my back- Sullivan said the event had an underwater they’ve learned.
veteran on board teachers. There are up to 5 ground in teaching one of the tasks for the Exploration theme for the mission course, and This story by Craig Sterrett first appeared
sessions during the day. last group that came through. I spent a better two platforms at different levels with bubblers in the Door County Pulse, June 21, and is
Recently, the STeM Shuttle was visited part of my day aboard the shuttle and accom- at the pool’s bottom to simulate sea vents. The reprinted here with full permission.
by Jon Kukuk, an engineer, who also serves modated school staff and the media to see the mission course simulated a scenario where an
on the Peshtigo school board. Since this was event, talk to the children and experience the ROV was retrieving items from the ocean floor
the first time an engineer was on board during excitement.” and bringing them up and through a door to a
a shuttle mission, we asked Jon to share his research vessel near the water’s surface, Sulli- www.island.k12.wi.us
thoughts on the STeM Shuttle program. Here You are invited to visit www.stemshuttle. van said.
is an excerpt from his response. com to learn more about the STeM Shuttle,
including fees and a whole lot more. Kinsey said she carried out all tasks prop-