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Esky schools to add manufacturing lab

ESCANABA — The Escanaba School Board has approved the purchase of a state of the art manufacturing lab and curriculum. The funding for the project was provided in large part by a $167,000 grant from the Upper Peninsula Manufacturing Talent Consortium.

“We are incredibly excited to make this opportunity available to our students,” said Board President Bob Chaillier. “It will also help support our local business, so it’s a huge win-win.”

The lab will serve students in grades 6-12 and will occupy the space formerly used by the woodshop. Equipment will include industrial controls, 3-D printers, CNC mills, and industrial robots.

“The courses we will teach in this tab cover everything from basic controls though complex programming,” said Escanaba High School Principal Darci Stenfors. “And we purposefully chose equipment and controls that mirror those used by our industry and college partners, so students will be able to make a seamless transition to the workforce or to post-secondary education.”

Students will be able to enroll in foundation courses while in junior high, High school students will have access to courses that cover mechatronics, industrial controls, industrial robotics, and the Industrial Internet of Things, a capstone course that teaches students about interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together in industrial applications.

“This lab will meet the needs of a wide variety of students,” said Dr. Coby Fletcher, superintendent. “It will provide certifications to students who want to enter the workforce immediately after high school, and it will prepare students who want to continue their studies at a junior college or university. It also connects well with, several CTE programs offered at the Delta-Schoolcraft ISO.”

The District plans to have the lab ready to go for the start of the upcoming school year The school will send out more information to families shortly, and students who want to enroll in classes that use the new lab can contact the school office for instructions.

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