Grant Awarded to Expand Fab Lab Student Instructor Program

November 19, 2021 – Sarasota

The Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab (SSC) is delighted to announce it was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Koski Family Foundation to expand its Student Proposals & Education Committee (SPEC) program. SPEC empowers high school students with the opportunity to build technical and life skills as they develop and teach Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) classes and camps. 

Access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources at the Fab Lab allows student instructors to design engaging programming in engineering, chemistry, coding, robotics, art and design, and more. The unique peer-to-peer learning model creates meaningful relationships among student instructors and student participants while also inspiring increased interest in and understanding of the educational material at hand.

“Our Foundation is passionate about augmenting students’ learning opportunities, and a great place for this to happen is the Suncoast Science Center with its Faulhaber Fab Lab. The SPEC program is a perfect forum that exposes participants to new and exciting opportunities,” shared Thomas Koski, President of The Koski Family Foundation. “We are proud to support this effort.”

The grant will allow SSC to enhance leadership and personal growth opportunities for its high school SPEC instructors to serve them better as they develop new programming and plan for future pursuits. Added technical and life skills workshops for instructors will include curriculum development, classroom management, college application and essay writing, mental health awareness, diversity and inclusion and more.

“Evoking an appreciation for lifelong learning and curiosity is paramount to the work we do. Through our unique and collaborative environment, our student instructors routinely learn new things about themselves and the world around them,” added SSC Executive Director Ping Faulhaber. “But we are most excited about the impact these additional life skills workshops will have on their long-term development and particularly as they embark on their post-secondary journey.”

To learn more about the SPEC program and view the schedule of student-led classes, visit https://suncoastscience.org.