Just over a year ago, Westminster Tool partnered with Moosup Elementary School to fund a Makerspace Program through a grant received from the AMBA. After launching the program in the fall of 2017, we quickly learned the potential this program had in creating our future generation of workers. The program, incredibly well received by the students, provides an alternative method to learning. Instead of using textbooks and lessons, the course is focused around hands on problem solving and critical thinking. While the program is only for elementary grade (K-3) students, it has enabled us to give them insight to what manufacturing looks like. As we like to say “At Westminster Tool, we get paid to do makerspace every day.”
When we realized how impactful the program was, and how much it meant to the students we decided to take our support a step further by donating an additional $10,000 at Christmas in 2017 to continue funding the program through 2018, and again this year when the third grade class visited Westminster Tool to share some Christmas cheer.
On Thursday, this year’s group of approximately 50 third graders piled into Westminster Tool to sing us Christmas carols, provide each employee with a card, and best of all – present us with two incredible gingerbread replicas of the state capitol and Governor’s mansion. The gingerbread replica’s were a combination of a Makerspace and Social Studies assignment where the students planned, designed and constructed the buildings. As you can see from the pictures, they were incredible.
For our twenty years in business, Westminster Tool has always been a proud supporter of the Plainfield community. This project has been especially near and dear to our heart as we get to experience the joy this program brings to the children, all while helping raise awareness about alternative career paths!
