Valley STEM + ME2 to Use $650K Grant to Enhance Labs
CANFIELD, Ohio – The Valley STEM + ME2 Academy was recently awarded nearly $650,000 in grant funding through the Ohio Department of Education’s Career Technical Education Equipment Program.
The school will use the funds to enhance its manufacturing and engineering labs, providing students with hands-on training using state-of-the-art equipment to prepare them for high-demand careers in fields such as advanced manufacturing, engineering and technology.
Valley STEM is one of 34 schools across the state to receive funding in the latest round of the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program, which aims to support the development of a skilled workforce by upgrading schools’ equipment to meet the demands of Ohio businesses.
“It is clear that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and the Office of Workforce Transformation have made the commitment to developing a robust workforce for the future of Ohio,” said Andrew Hampton, Valley STEM principal. “The students at the Valley STEM + ME2 Academy will have the opportunity to engage in manufacturing and engineering activities that will put them on a trajectory for a career pathway, workforce contribution and their version of the American Dream within the Mahoning Valley and great state of Ohio because of this commitment.”
Valley STEM instructors Todd Van Orman and Mike Lopuchovsky played a key role in the development and submission of the school’s grant proposal. Partnerships with Humtown, the Mahoning Valley Manufacturing Coalition, Altronic, GreenBoardIT, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, KTSDI, JuggerBot3D and Sapientia Ventures also played a role.
“Schools having the ability to purchase more equipment will give more students more opportunities and help address the region’s workforce needs,” state Sen. Al Cutrona, R-33rd, said in a statement. “A hands-on learning experience is critical for students to have when they enter the workforce.”
Pictured at top: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, left, and Andrew Hampton, Valley STEM principal.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
