The Grant

In the 18-19 SY, the Ayer Shirley Regional School District received $82,951 in funding from the MA Skills Capital Grant project in support of our project proposal to develop the Panther Innovation Lab. The governor's office awarded these funds for the purpose of purchasing equipment to support career exploration and education in robotics and engineering.

Partners in this project include many local community members such as the Ayer Shirley Regional High School Robotics Program, Dassault Systems, and several other individuals and business organizations who have donated their time and talent to the project, totaling in-kind donations of $82,951.

Ayer Shirley Regional Director of Student Services, Mary Beth Hamel, organized and led a small grant writing team to pursue funding from the MA Skills Capital Grant Program which included high school science teachers, parents, and several members of the community. Mrs. Hamel, grant coordinator for the district, completed extensive research on the Central MA Workforce Blueprint and as a result, submitted a successful grant application outlining the need for the project. The project was funded to specifically target the fields of engineering, robotics, and manufacturing; support the education of historically underserved student populations in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math); and support the training needs of underemployed populations in our Central Massachusetts region.

Along with the grant submission, the district was required to identify and itemize an equal amount of in-kind donations totaling $82,951. The in-kind donations were secured through a combination of donated time, talent, and/or monetary and equipment donations from community members - business owners and members of the high school Robotics Program.