Flight Grant 2022

All students deserve access to a high-quality STEAM environment in their schools. At Palmer High School we are not only set up to expand access and opportunity for our students, but we are uniquely set up to do so because of our Digital Media Studies department. In the department students learn about design, art, information technology, video production, audio production, 3D modeling, and much more. One expansion we would like to create is an opportunity for students to truly get an understanding of how all those elements work together by creating a design-once-to-implement-multiple-ways production opportunity. Specifically, we want to implement that through a Student Enterprise that is one part on-demand fabrication lab and one part student run school store. We want to create a STEAM Factory.

Highlights:

• Creates one part-time position for an alumnus of our program

• Creates an onsite manufacturing lab for on-demand designed items

• Creates a window - literally - into the fabrication space

• Creates a podcasting and streaming studio to communicate efforts

• Expands existing infrastructure and curriculum into more hands-on implementation

• Focuses efforts around entrepreneurship across programs

• Supports Alternative Cooperative Education (A.C.E.) classes

In May, 2022, we were notified that we were awarded the entire funding request. Funds will be distributed in August, but in May arrangements were already being made to retrofit the space where the fabrication lab will be to ensure that when students return in August we are already ready to go with the space and machines. The preferred candidate for the alumni position had already been identified by the end of May and the district and grants office will be working with Sean to determine the best way to move forward with this position.

Beginning in August students will stand up the lab as their CTSO Student Enterprise under the guidance of Sean Wybrant, Susan Fletcher, and our to-be-hired alumnus.

Major Sales/Event Dates:

• Homecoming Football Game - September 2022 - Grand unveiling!

• Rotarty Flight Gala - September/October 2022

• Halloween Bash - October 2022

• December Dance - December 2022

• Spring Break

• Space Symposium - April 2023

• Graduation - May 2023

Podcast streams will be updated every two-three weeks in the 2022-2023 school year, and live streams of builds will happen monthly.