Soaring drones. 3-D printers. Laser cutters. These are the tools of future engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and STEM scholars. With help from Bendix, these tools are now in the hands of Elyria Catholic High School (ECHS) students in their new Maker Space.
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety, air management, and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles, understands the importance of encouraging STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and careers. This fall, the company donated $12,500 to ECHS to equip a collaborative classroom for students to develop STEM-related technology and entrepreneurial skills.
“Education and STEM are key activities that Bendix supports, as we believe they are the foundation for self-sufficiency and align with who we are as a company – technology-driven,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix’s director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “I get particularly excited with maker spaces because that is the best way to learn and get kids excited – when they get to physically touch, experiment and create. It’s like playing, but with the science behind it. To me, that is the root of innovation.”
The Elyria Catholic Maker Space includes two 3-D printers, 10 drones, a tilting interactive board, a vinyl cutter, a laser cutter, an iPad kiosk, computers and collaborative workplace furniture. These technologies will allow for new curricular opportunities and extracurricular activities to develop students’ skills. ECHS hopes this space will prepare more students for college and careers in STEM-related industries.
“The Maker Space at Elyria Catholic allows our engineering students to explore technologies and our business students to experience the entrepreneurial process,” said Michelle Hoffman, director of advancement at ECHS. “The Maker Space is truly inspiring our faculty and students to pursue more STEM projects in all of their classes.”
The Maker Space opened on Oct. 14 at the school’s open house for prospective students. Students in business and entrepreneurship, engineering and physics classes were the first to use the room, along with those participating in the Science Olympiad. The space has sparked so much interest that a team was created to compete in local drone competitions, and the school is considering forming a FIRST Robotics team.
Sponsoring the Maker Space is part of Bendix’s ongoing commitment to support local education and STEM initiatives. In addition to Bendix, the Maker Space was made possible by Ridge Tool, a Catholic Community Foundation Rooted in Faith grant and proceeds from Elyria Catholic High School’s 2018 Forward Gala.
