Red Wing Public Schools 3M Classrooms

Last Friday, Red Wing Public Schools celebrated the creation of two state-of-art high school engineering classrooms courtesy of 3M and its partners.

3M invested $275,000 in Red Wing High School. Working with nonprofit Heart of America, crews in just weeks transformed and equipped two underutilized classrooms into the Future Makers Lab -- one classroom is now the Engineering Design and Robotics Lab while the other is the Engineering Principles and Mechatronics Lab.

Students as well as staff provided input on both spaces.

Friday's event simultaneously celebrated a grant from 3M MAP or Manufacturing and Academic Partnership program in conjunction with work-based learning partner GPS Ed.

This investment of more than $178,000 to Minnesota State College Southeast included Mechatronic equipment and training for RWHS teachers Doug Barlow, Bill Emery, and Katherine Kirkevold.

The college has a growing mechatronics curriculum, teaching a multidisciplinary skill set that intersects mechanics, electronics, and computing.

MSC Southeast will work closely with the Red Wing teachers, and the students will have an immediate pathway to more education and in-demand careers.

The ribbon is cut, officially opening the Future Makers Lab at Red Wing High School. Principal Joshua Fuchs, Heart of American Executive Director Jill Heath, Mayor Gary Iocco, 3M Foundation Vice President Michael Stroik, RWHS Industrial Tech teacher Doug Barlow and state Rep. Pam Altendorf did the honors.