DENSO North America Foundation awarded a $28,900 grant to Lake Michigan College to help fund the new Weekly Opportunity Workshop to take place at the Fab Lab, aimed at providing community members access to learn about techniques of advanced manufacturing.
A new series of learning opportunities will be available through the Fab Lab at Lake Michigan College (LMC), supported in part by a $28,900 grant from the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF). The Weekly Opportunity Workshop (WOW) series will provide an opportunity for community members of all ages to take advantage of workshops intended to introduce participants to a variety of skills. The grant from DNAF will be used to cover the costs of materials, as well as for scholarships for those with financial need.
The workshops, which will range from one to three days long, will teach skills commonly needed in manufacturing environments, as explained in a recent news release from LMC. Participants can learn about using power tools, 3D printing, and sewing, as well as pinball and arcade building. The Fab Lab was designed to expose people to possible careers in manufacturing by providing access to equipment and software.
The Hanson Technology Center houses Fab Lab. Director of the Hanson Technology Center, Chad Dee, said in the news release that the WOW series is filling a gap in these types of opportunities, "Many K-12 manufacturing programs have been shuttered, so students just don't have access to this type of equipment and instruction. The WOW series provides children and young adults with access to manufacturing equipment they can no longer find in their schools."
Dee also said that the grant from DNAF will help grow the reach of the WOW series, "These funds allow us to expand and grow our programming by offering scholarship opportunities and covering supply costs for many new and current workshops. 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."
DNAF is a philanthropic organization connected to DENSO, a supplier of mobility projects, headquartered in Southfield, MI.