Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Readiness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
GoTech grant would outfit Hanover middle school labs with advanced manufacturing and STEM equipment
Summary
District staff and GoTech partners described a Go Virginia regional grant proposal to equip middle‑school labs with 3D printers, CNC mills, robotics kits and other modules. Typical equipment costs were cited (~$150,000 per lab) with an expected in‑kind match and a two‑year support fee.
At the instructional highlight portion of the April 14 meeting, Mr. Rorick and GoTech representatives described a regional Go Virginia grant proposal to build or upgrade middle‑school career connections labs. "GoTech delivers workforce training and talent development through a collaborative model" involving K‑12, higher education and industry, the presenters said.
The presentation listed common lab equipment — 3‑D printers, laser cutters, VEX robotics kits, welding simulators and a desktop CNC mill — and noted typical funding to outfit a lab is "around $150,000," with roughly $75,000 of project match often needed from participating school divisions. District staff said the division would pay an $8,000 annual fee for two years to support training and installation. If Go Virginia approves the regional request at its June meeting, the district plans to pilot equipment installations at Chickahominy and Oak Knoll middle schools and pursue additional funding for other schools.
