MERRILL — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced on Friday, May 1 that Merrill Area Public Schools is the recipient of a state grant to fund new fab lab facilities, which will equip Wisconsin students with essential skills for the 21 st century’s global economy. Merrill Schools was awarded $31,942.49 to expand our current FAB Lab.
“WEDC has invested over $2.8 million for the past five years to provide 77 school districts across the state with the equipment necessary to help students learn high-demand skills, including technology, manufacturing and engineering,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “Fab labs benefit not only the students themselves with important technology and career skills, but they also benefit Wisconsin employers, who will be able to find workers with
the right skills to allow their companies to grow and thrive.”
Including Merrill Schools, 31 school districts throughout the state are being awarded a total of $693,200 in Fab Lab grants this year to establish or expand their fab labs.
“The Merrill FAB Lab strives to provide our students learning opportunities to prepare themselves with the skills necessary to continue their education or go directly into the world of work,” states Josh Zalewsky, FAB Lab Director of Merrill Area Public Schools. “Central Wisconsin has an extensive and proud manufacturing sector and this grant award will continue to grow our students opportunities to meet the needs of this ever evolving field.”
“I am grateful for the grant dollars associated with this grant award,” declares Dr. John Sample, MAPS Superintendent. “This support provides excellent learning opportunities for our students.”
WEDC’s Fab Labs Grant Program is designed to support hands-on learning in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) by assisting public school districts with equipment purchases such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control routers and plasma cutters for instructional and educational purposes. Fab labs have the potential to benefit individual students, school districts, the surrounding community and Wisconsin’s economy as a whole. For more information, visit WEDC’s fab lab resource page or follow #WIFabLab on Twitter.