The Southern Door School District held a special program to highlight its receipt of a $25,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to help in its efforts to create a “fab lab” at the school between Sturgeon Bay and Brussels. A “fab lab” is a high technology workshop equipped with computed-controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control routers, and plasma cutters. Aaron Hager, Vice-President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the state economic development agency, says the grant funding exemplified in the “fab lab” program is a great investment in the effort to prepare young people for jobs in the future…
Southern Door was one of 69 applications for grant funding. Hager was asked what made the Southern Door application stand out…
State Representative Joel Kitchens was very pleased with the “fab lab” funding that has been received by the Southern Door School District. Kitchens, who has focused attention on education during his time in the assembly, says the emphasis on technology in the classroom is a good thing…
With only so much funding to go around, Kitchens says the targeted grants provided by the state economic development corporation will pay for themselves many times over…
The 21 school districts receiving grant funding this time around reflect a total investment of close to half a million dollars in state funding. The proposed two-year state budget includes an additional one million dollars for the program.
