On Friday, November 4, ALPLA Inc. North America, a company that produces plastic bottles and packaging for everyday use, presented $10,000 checks to both Griffin High School (GHS) and Spalding High School (SHS) for STEM projects.
The grant for GHS will sponsor the “What’s in the World of STEM” project which will create awareness and expose students to numerous STEM activities and opportunities in the manufacturing/engineering field. GHS students will create their own replica of a plastic container with silicone molds and epoxy, then create a model using a 3D printer. They will build a team robot and tour manufacturing industries in the region including ALPLA Inc. manufacturing facility in McDonough.
The grant for SHS will sponsor the project “STEM: Students Thinking & Engaging in Mechatronics.” Students will be introduced to a variety of STEM activities. They will build a variety of robots and program the robots for different tasks.
Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) Director of Career Technical Agriculture Education (CTAE) Dr. Laura Ergle said, “Our goal through these projects is to pique our students’ interest and get them engaged and interested in the manufacturing/engineering process, perhaps resulting in the next generation of technicians, innovators, designers and engineers.”
“I appreciate this investment in our students. There are so many excellent careers in STEM and manufacturing. This is a great opportunity for our students to be exposed to these meaningful careers,” said GSCS Superintendent Dr. Keith Simmons.