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Elkhorn Area Middle School STEM club showcases maker activities and $50,000 in grant-funded equipment
Summary
Students and staff described a newly funded makerspace at Elkhorn Area Middle School, saying $50,000 in grants purchased laser cutters, 3-D printers, vacuum formers and other equipment to expand STEM offerings and connect students to career pathways.
Bridal McRae, principal at Elkhorn Area Middle School, and student members of the school's STEM club presented the club's activities and an upcoming makerspace project at the Elkhorn Area School Board meeting on Feb. 24.
McRae said the middle school has 88 students involved in at least one club or activity and highlighted the STEM club's hands-on work in digital fabrication, 3-D printing and sublimation projects. Students described projects including sublimated mugs, laser-cut ornaments and 3-D-printed parts used in class projects.
The presenters told the board the makerspace equipment is fully grant-funded. McRae said the district received two grants totaling about $50,000 — the first a $15,000 grant and a subsequent grant reported as $37,000 — and that the funds cover equipment and supplies for the new space. The group named Project Lead The Way and an RDAAP-affiliated grant as contributors in the presentation; the district said it will announce the larger grant's funder publicly when the donor is ready to be named.
Students said the makerspace will include more-powerful xTool laser cutters, vacuum formers, multiple 3-D printers and digital fabrication tools used to expand project scope, collaborate across grade levels and offer micro-credentialing and career pathways tied to the high school and local industry partners.
McRae described plans to coordinate with the high school so students can continue skill development; she named Jenna Rand as a high-school collaborator and said the middle-school program will rotate outreach to elementary schools through Storybook STEM to create an early exposure pipeline. Club meetings currently occur every other week, and the program previously operated with two cohorts; the makerspace will allow a single, larger cohort with expanded fabrication capacity.
A board member asked whether the larger grant amount could be disclosed; McRae replied that one grant was $15,000 and the other approximately $37,000 (totaling $50,000) and that the district will announce the second funder in the coming weeks once the donor is ready to be named. The presenters said the makerspace and equipment are 100% funded through grants and that the district's STEM advisors are pursuing micro-certifications to connect middle-school experiences to apprenticeship and internship opportunities at local companies.
Students invited the board to visit the new makerspace once it is operational.
The board did not take a separate vote on the makerspace presentation; it was provided as a community and school update.
