It takes the support of an entire community to make a business thrive. The same is true with our schools. Scott Jeske, principal of Robert Blue Middle School , is grateful for the support their school recently received from seven local farmers.
Jerry Maier, Arnold Wagner, Tom Kist, Nancy Schmalenberger, Eldean Olson, Jon Rowen, and Drew Dooley were all involved in nominating the Eagle Grove school for the Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant. The purpose of the program is to award money to enhance sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM – RBMS goes by STEAM adding in the “Arts”) curriculum. After they were nominated in early 2020, Jeske was asked to write a grant application describing how they would use the money to build their lo the kids. Jeske completed the application just before school was cancelled for the year due to COVID-19.
Four years ago, RBMS got the same grant and they used it to create the Discovery Center, which is located where the middle school library used to be (before combining both libraries into the elementary space). This allowed students the opportunity to come in before school and spend time creating, thinking, and problem solving in a variety of ways. So when he began writing the 2020 grant, he thought long and hard what could be added that would benefit the largest group of kids. Then it came to him. Students, under the leadership of Josh Schild, have been learning how to program and use a 3D printer the school purchased within the last couple of years. The addition of a Glowforge machine will now allow printing on such materials as hardwood, leather, or acrylic.
“I love that we won again because that grant is very helpful for our school and shows how agriculture is trying to keep rural communities alive,” said Dooley.
“There’s a whole list of things you can cut with (the Glowforge) machine,” said Jeske very excited about the possibilities.
They will be purchasing one Glowforge that is $5,000, and a second, more advanced one for $10,000. What’s great about the addition of these two machines to the 3D printer is that it gets kids excited about computer programming. It’s not just textbook work, they actually get to create objects that they can use and keep. Last year, some of the students created luggage tags/key rings. These new machines will allow students to create even more interesting things this year.
Jeske added that he has even bigger ideas and goals for the kids using the Glowforge machines.
“I would like to be able to set up a type of Eagle Grove store, selling items that the kids have designed and created…and put those profits back into the Discovery Center,” he explained.
Although Jeske is not quite sure exactly how this “store” would operate, he envisions the kids working on and learning the techniques of manufacturing and marketing as well as developing sales skills. One idea is to have these products available to the public as wanted rather than coming in to “shop.”
As in the past with the 3D printer, kids will have access to the new Glowforge during Schild’s class.
“We’ve really been trying to get our kids programming more,” said Jeske. “There’s such a need for manufacturing in our area…and this gives our kids a leg up on it.”
Jeske hopes the machine will be delivered, up and running in early November.
“I think it’s going to be really fun for the kids,” Jeske said.
