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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-
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