WEDC expects to award grants to 30 districts; deadline is Dec. 12
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
is now accepting applications for the fifth year of its Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grant
Program, which provides funding to help public schools build or expand fab labs.
The grant program supports hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math
(STEAM) education by assisting public school districts with equipment purchases for
instructional and educational purposes in fab labs. Fab labs are high-tech workshops with the
latest equipment, including computer-controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers,
laser engravers and computer numerical control routers.
WEDC’s investment in the program puts fab labs within reach for schools that might otherwise
not have the financial means to install such facilities.
WEDC will provide grants of up to $25,000 to public school districts, or up to $50,000 to
consortiums of two or more districts, for the creation and/or expansion of fabrication
laboratories. The funds may be used to purchase equipment used for instructional and
educational purposes by elementary, middle, junior high, or high school students. Applicants
must match the amount of funding provided by WEDC.
Since the program’s inception, WEDC has awarded over $2.1 million in grants to 58 districts. In
April, grants totaling more than $500,000 were awarded to 22 districts. WEDC is allocating
$750,000 in this fiscal year and anticipates awarding 30 grants this time around. Recipients will
be announced next spring.
“We’ve seen WEDC’s Fab Labs Grants make a real difference in every region of the state in
providing students with hands-on experience in areas such as design, engineering and complex
problem-solving over the last four years,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the
state’s lead economic development organization. “WEDC is pleased to continue investing in this
vital program for our state, and I encourage school districts to consider applying for a grant.”
Fab Labs Grants will be awarded through a competitive process, with applications evaluated
based on the applicant’s readiness and long-range planning, curriculum, business and
community partnerships, financial need and previous awards. This year’s round of Fab Labs
Grants includes a moratorium on applicants who have already received three grants, excluding
Milwaukee Public Schools.
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In addition to the grant program, WEDC also is supporting the state’s fab labs by working with
the University of Wisconsin-Stout and Fox Valley Technical College to develop an online tool to
increase collaboration and the sharing of resources among school districts with fab labs.
The web portal, which was developed by the UW-Stout Discovery Center with guidance from
teachers statewide, allows teachers and others at fab lab schools to communicate with one
another on topics such as curriculum development and implementation, equipment usage and
troubleshooting, training and professional development.
The fab labs announcement comes as the state celebrates Wisconsin Manufacturing Month with
events throughout October. While fab labs help students develop skills applicable to any
industry, those skills are increasingly important in the evolution of next-generation
manufacturing.
“With more than 9,000 manufacturers in Wisconsin, there is a real need for skilled workers to fill
the jobs of today and tomorrow,” Secretary Hughes said. “The Fab Labs Grant Program is one
of the ways in which the state is helping to fill that need as we continue to grow Wisconsin’s
economy.”
More information on the program, including application details, can be found at
wedc.org/fablabs. The deadline is Dec. 12.
