Fund-a-Need: Digital Arts and Engineering Pathways

At the Mahtomedi School Board meeting on May 23, 2024, Jim Hansen, President of the MAEF Board of Trustees, presented a check for $86,000 to the district. The funds were raised through this year's Fund-a-Need appeal to support Mahtomedi Public School’s goal of strengthening digital art and engineering pathways for students. The donation will equip the Digital Arts classroom at Mahtomedi Middle School with digital cameras, iPads, and lighting kits, and the Fabrication (Fab) Lab at Mahtomedi High School with an industry-grade Computer-Aided Design (CAD) lab.

You can read below to learn more about the Digital Arts and Engineering Pathways.

Do you want to help us equip the Fab Lab at Mahtomedi High School with additional industry-grade equipment for the 2024-25 school year?

Fabrication (Fab) Lab at Mahtomedi High School

Enhanced technology in the Fabrication (Fab) Lab at Mahtomedi High School will help Mahtomedi Public Schools lead the way in engineering and industrial trades education. Industry-standard technology will enrich students' learning experiences, foster career readiness, and prepare them for success in higher education and the workforce by providing hands-on learning, skill development, project-based experiences, and career exploration opportunities.

  • Students will gain the skills needed to seamlessly transition into a job or apprenticeship with very little additional training, or admission into a two or four-year post-secondary institution. 

  • These programs are not just for aspiring engineers, but for all students who want to build professional skills for their careers. The engineering courses at Mahtomedi High School work in collaboration with business, arts, and culinary courses.

  • Partnerships and donations to this year’s Fund-a-Need will help equip the Fabrication (Fab) Lab at Mahtomedi High School with

    • UPDATE: FUNDED - Industry-grade, Computer-aided Design (CAD) Lab

    • Tormach CNC Router

    • Desktop ShopBot

    • Stratasys F190CR 3D Printer

    • UR Robot Cart

Digital Arts Classroom at Mahtomedi Middle School - UPDATE: FUNDED

Beginning in Fall 2024, students at Mahtomedi Middle School will have the opportunity to learn more about the elements and tools of current and emerging technologies and how to use them to create artwork through photography, video, and graphic design in the new Digital Arts classes. Digital Arts will be required for all 7th-grade students and offered to 8th-grade students as an elective.

The donation will equip the Digital Arts classroom at Mahtomedi Middle School with digital cameras, iPads, and lighting kits.

These classes will satisfy the new MN State Arts Standards, as well as give students an opportunity to build foundational skills that would prepare them for high school art, business, and engineering courses.

Click here for more information about Career Pathways.