Volkswagen Elabs Give Michigan Schools State-Of-The-Art STEM Spaces With $1.8m Gift

This fall, 13 new creation labs opened their doors in Birmingham and Southfield schools. The labs mark Michigan's first Volkswagen eLabs, made possible by a $1.8 million gift from Volkswagen Group of America and the Public Education Foundation.

Students now work with cutting-edge tools in local schools. The labs buzz with 3D printers whirring and laser cutters humming. Kids of all ages get their hands on robotics gear and design tools.

"This is more than just a roomful of equipment, it is actually a launchpad for ideas and launchpad for development," said Mario Duarte, Volkswagen senior director for learning, training and development, according to The Oakland Press.

The new labs serve students at eight Birmingham schools: Beverly, Bingham Farms, Covington, Greenfield, Harlan, Pembroke, Pierce, Quarton, and West Maple. Three Southfield schools - Thompson K-8, Adler Elementary, and University K-12 - also got labs.

At West Maple's ribbon-cutting on Oct. 21, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II spoke with excitement. "To have this available to young people in Birmingham and in Southfield right now today is nothing short of extraordinary," he said. "There are going to be kids who create community changing things before they leave this building."

Each school picked five staff members to guide others in using the new tools. West Maple's librarian Carrie Betts leads one team. She points out how making physical objects helps kids learn, "When you can physically create something on a 3-D printer or another one of these pieces of equipment, you create something you can touch and it makes learning recall that much better and it sticks better with the students, especially the younger ones."

Teachers spent summer days learning these new skills. Some flew to Chattanooga for special classes. The project builds on success - the Public Education Foundation now runs the world's biggest network of registered FabLabs.

Good news came quickly. Southfield's Superintendent Jennifer Martin-Green shared, "A first grader told me they already wanted to be graphic designer based on the work they were doing here in this lab."

The labs hold tools for all kinds of projects. Vinyl cutters, special pens and printers sit next to wood-carving machines and heat presses. Teachers use these tools to bring lessons to life - like printing copies of old artifacts for history class.