Wisconsin schools to add ‘fab lab’ to elementary kid schedules to create more young innovators

MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAW) - For some kids, the best part about school is when you get to be creative. Now, Wisconsin wants to make sure those kids who are creative get to expand that skill.

Mosinee Elementary is one of 18 schools that has been awarded a $25,000 grant to create a fab lab. A fab lab stands for fabrication laboratory. For the Mosinee School District, it’s about starting them young. In class, kids are making things with Play-Doh®, building things with blocks, drawing, and more.

With this new fab lab, they can experiment even more with their creations.

“To use their imagination and really develop the skill set to find their voice to create, so this is really an opportunity to really get involved with their education,” Mosinee School District Interim Superintendent Robert Way said.

This fab lab won’t be as high-tech as the ones in their middle school and high school, but students will have a chance to build their future.

“Having stations set up and having the opportunity for students to lead in their project development,” Way added. “The equipment won’t be as sophisticated at the middle school and high school, but we will certainly have equipment that will help students develop the skills that they need when they go into middle school.”

Mosinee Elementary has been brainstorming ideas on what the fab lab will look like. It will be geared towards teaching students the skills they will need for tomorrow.

“Kids are really making things not with the equipment of the last generation,” Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Deputy Secretary and COO Sam Rikkers said. “They are really being introduced to the equipment that they will need for their generation. How we’re making things going forward.”

Mosinee Elementary still needs to determine where the new fab lab will be, but they hope to have it up and running by next school year.

Copyright 2024 WSAW. All rights reserved.