Bucks IU to add Fab Lab Center

Building on the success of its Mobile Fab Lab (Fabrication Laboratory), the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) is excited to announce the opening of a Fab Lab Center in December 2021 for scheduled events and activities. Located at One Ivybrook Blvd., Suite 150, Warminster PA, the new Fab Lab Center will expand upon the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education programs the Mobile Fab Lab has been bringing to the students of Bucks County since the Fall of 2019. Educators, students and industry stakeholders will now have a unique location specially designed to support a more in-depth engagement in STEAM learning. STEAM education helps prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce, which will require students to be skilled in computer science and digital fabrication.

The new Fab Lab Center provides yet another way of engaging and stimulating interest in the wide variety of STEAM future careers and opportunities. In Pennsylvania, through 2026, 590,000 employment positions will be available and 9% of those will be STEAM jobs. Over the next 10 years, over 71% of all jobs will require computer science skills. STEAM, health and business majors generally earn the highest salaries. Research shows that STEAM instruction offers benefits in a student’s postsecondary career, even if that student does not pursue a STEAM career.

Something for Everyone
The Fab Lab Center will be offering after school, weekend, and summer STEAM programs for students of all ages. After-school clubs will run for six-week sessions, meeting for 60-90 minutes once each week. Saturday programs will offer more-in depth learning opportunities, running for 3 hours. Clubs and programs will be offered for Engineering and Design, Coding with Robotics, Advanced Coding with Arduino, Community Service through Hydroponics, Making through Digital Fabrication, and much more! The first STEAM Saturday will be held on December 11, 2021, and after-school clubs will launch in January 2022.

Educators will find the new Fab Lab Center offers a place to engage in professional learning and training on a myriad of STEAM, digital fabrication, and computer science topics. For example, teachers can learn more about block coding and robots, use of digital design and fabrication tools like Tinkercad, and how to integrate all academic subject areas with STEAM. Teachers and administrators will also be able to look to the Fab Lab Center as a destination for educational, interactive school field trips.

For community businesses, the Fab Lab Center will be offering team building and retreat-style workshops.

The Bucks IU Fab Lab STEAM programs make learning fun and engaging for both children and adults.