LMC Gets $29,00 Grant For Fab Lab

hanson-technology-center-exterior-for-press-release-5
hanson-technology-center-exterior-for-press-release-5

Lake Michigan College has received a grant of nearly $29,000 for its Fab Lab, the makers space in the Hanson Technology Center. Lake Michigan College has released the following:

Lake Michigan College has received a $28,900 grant from DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) to support the Fab Lab’s new Weekly Opportunity Workshop (WOW) series. DNAF is the philanthropic arm of DENSO, a leading mobility supplier with North American headquarters in Southfield, Michigan.  

The WOW series provides individuals of all ages with an opportunity to explore and develop advanced manufacturing techniques through hands-on experiences in the Fab Lab in the Hanson Technology Center on Lake Michigan College’s Benton Harbor campus.   

The series offers weekly one-to-three-day workshops covering a variety of topics. New workshops, including using power tools, train mechanics, virtual pinball building, 3D printer building, and learning to sew, will join more familiar offerings such as Fab Lab 101, pen making, and arcade building.   

“Many K-12 manufacturing programs have been shuttered, so students just don’t have access to this type of equipment and instruction,” said Chad Dee, director of the Hanson Technology Center. “The WOW series provides children and young adults with access to manufacturing equipment they can no longer find in their schools.”  

The series utilizes Fab Lab equipment ranging from 3D printers to laser cutters to a wide range of computer software. It is also designed to expose participants to related careers in assembling, fabricating, and repairing scientific and engineering equipment. 

The DNAF grant will cover scholarships for participants with financial needs. It also will be used to cover supply costs for 3D printer kits, arcade unit kits, pen-making lathes, and virtual pinball unit kits through the 2023 grant term.   

“These funds allow us to expand and grow our programming by offering scholarship opportunities and covering supply costs for many new and current workshops,” Dee said. “It also helps us to create a series of hands-on opportunities that combine education, creativity, and play for students, adults, and families throughout our community.”   

Founded in 2001, DNAF provides grants to North American colleges and universities to help advance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs, which are key to inspiring tomorrow’s leaders of technical fields. It also delivers disaster relief grants through the American Red Cross to aid persons and communities in which DENSO operates.   

For more information about DNAF, visit www.densofoundation.org. For more information on the WOW series or to register for specific workshops, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/fablab. Information about scholarship opportunities will be available soon.