Funding from the Consumers Energy Foundation ensures low-cost and free classes will be available at INNOVATE Albion and Kellogg Community College for a least a year.
ALBION, Mich., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- INNOVATE Albion (innovatealbion.org) announces a partnership with Kellogg Community College to offer low-cost and free hands-on tech classes for kids 8 to 18, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation.
Funding from the foundation ensures low-cost and free classes will be available at INNOVATE Albion and via Kellogg Community College for a least a year, if not longer.
"Lowering the cost of tech classes means more children will have access to high-quality STEM education, which is essential for their success in school and in the job market in the years to come," said INNOVATE Albion Executive Director Caroline Dobbins-Hurteau.
INNOVATE Albion, a tech education hub in downtown Albion, will begin offering the lower-cost classes (Lego Challenge, Lego Adventure and Kids Who Code) on June 13, when the summer session at the center begins. KCC (Kellogg.edu) will unveil its slate of tech courses for area kids and teens at its five locations in Southwest Michigan this summer.
The Consumers Energy Foundation grant is the second major grant awarded to INNOVATE Albion this year. Previously the center received $40,000 from the Guido A. and Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation to develop four classroom lessons designed to ignite an interest in engineering and robotics in elementary school students.
The Binda Foundation grant funds a series of summer classes starting in July that will focus on developing students' problem-solving skills and spark their interest in learning more about science, math and robotics. Marshall Public Schools has already committed to piloting the INNOVATE ALBION lessons in elementary school classrooms in the fall.
"With two major grant announcements this year, INNOVATE Albion is beginning to establish itself as an essential resource for schools and families in the region," Dobbins-Hurteau said. "Our goal is to develop a talent pipeline. We believe that for that to happen successfully, programs and opportunities need to be offered as early as kindergarten."
Albion-based Caster Concepts Inc., a global manufacturer of casters and wheels, and its sister company Conceptual Innovations launched INNOVATE Albion in 2019 to develop engineering talent for manufacturers in the region.
Already, the nonprofit has become a hub for students interested in coding and robotics. The organization refurbished a three-story, 100-year-old masonic temple into a technology center with a machine shop and classrooms. The center features a regulation-size high school robotics field, which was recently named the Richard H. Dobbins Robotics Field, after the founder of Caster Concepts.
"We want to foster aha moments for kids," Dobbins-Hurteau said. "We know that if we create the right environment and keep them engaged in STEM education, they will develop a viable career path once they leave school, whether they go on to college or enter manufacturing jobs."
INNOVATE Albion offers classes and robotics testing space year-round. Fees are $50 per class. The center provides a 50% discount for families receiving SNAP benefits and scholarship opportunities are available.
To learn more about INNOVATE Albion programs, visit InnovateAlbion.org.
###
About INNOVATE Albion
INNOVATE Albion is a teaching and training center for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and robotics in Southwest Michigan. As a nonprofit organization founded in collaboration with Caster Concepts Inc. and Conceptual Innovations, we bring together students, educators, and professionals to build the next generation of skilled talent in our region. Visit innovatealbion.org.
Media Contact
Patricia Maldonado, INNOVATE Albion, 305-490-8831, [email protected]
SOURCE INNOVATE Albion
Share this article