OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — A new makerspace at a school that teaches students with disabilities is helping those children make big strides when it comes to STEM-based subjects.
The Genesee Lake School unveiled the Pioneer Creation Station in September. It's a classroom where students can experiment with 3-D printers, a Cricut which is a die-cutting machine for craft projects, LEGO, and more. There is a mixture of high-technology lessons that incorporate computer-aided design (CAD) software, low-technology lessons using craft machines, and no-technology lessons that utilize things like LEGO. The goal is to meet students where they are at. All of these lessons help teach students about design, measuring, math, and more.
"They are students with diverse abilities who deserve this space just like their peers would have, and they deserve those same opportunities," Jessica Weber, the general educational instructional coach at Genesee Lake School said.
The Pioneer Creation Station opened in September 2023. It's giving students opportunities to learn STEM-based skills they didn't have access to before.
“You can basically build whatever you want and make it come to life with a 3-D printer," 7th grader Liam said.
The makerspace has fostered a love for machinery, electricity, and making things move for Liam.
“On tinker CAD there’s options where I can build your own circuits," Liam said.
Teachers said they’ve already seen students make huge strides in science and math-based subjects.
“Just in the few months that we’ve been there being able to start a project and become frustrated when things aren’t going but to be able to use strategies to work throughout it and get to the end design product," Weber said.
Plus, the Pioneer Creation Station is teaching skills for jobs that don't even exist today.
“Using those skills to then apply them to real-world problems that they can find solutions for," Weber said.
Genesee Lake School teaches students ages 7 to 21 who have neurodevelopmental disorders. The school offers day classes as well as boarding opportunities. It's part of a larger company called MyPath which offers services like school, therapy, and support to high-need individuals, according to the company website. It has locations in Wisconsin and Indiana. Most of the students have elected to go to this school after consultations with their local school district and families.
"We want to provide the same opportunities that would receive in their home school," Gen Santharam, the MyPath Education Administrator at Genesee Lake School, said.
This Pioneer Creation Station levels the playing field for everyone to learn these important STEM-based skills.
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