BRISTOL — Local manufacturer Freudenberg-NOK has committed to a three-year, $46,170 underwriting of the majority of expenses associated with implementing robotics programs at three Newfound Area schools.
The Newfound Area School Board formally accepted the donation at its Jan. 14 meeting.
A $7,500 startup grant from First NH Robotics launched the program at Newfound Regional High School, Newfound Memorial Middle School, and Bristol Elementary School, but the cost of materials and registration fees at the high school alone amount to about $6,000, according to Superintendent Stacy Buckley.
Not only did Freudenberg agree to provide the funding; it also plans to send nine engineers — three to each school — to serve as mentors for the students, Buckley said.
Freudenberg has worked with the schools on a number of initiatives, especially in offering job shadowing and plant tours that give students an idea of what today’s engineering and manufacturing processes are like. The hope is that, by stimulating an interest in manufacturing careers, students will realize they can have satisfying, high-paying careers without leaving the state to find them.
The Bristol manufacturer is not alone in taking initiatives to show young people that factory work is not the dirty, dangerous job it used to be. Companies across the state have been facing a shortage of skilled workers and have been looking at ways of raising awareness of the innovation taking place in the manufacturing world.
Supporting robotics is a direct way to get students interested in engineering by giving them a chance to solve problems and create ways to accomplish tasks through science. The robotics programs provide kits for students to use in devising their solutions, and a series of competitions leading up to a statewide contest provide incentives to prove what they can do.
While the robotics programs at Newfound will begin at the three largest schools, Buckley said the program will continue to grow, and all of the schools are already doing “a ton” of robotics work in preparation for the expansion.
Science and co-curricular teachers will be involved in the program, along with the mentors from Freudenberg, and as the program gets underway, the district will be able to determine how much of a time commitment is needed.
“Having mentors in our schools is a big part of the puzzle,” Buckley said as she spoke of how robotics can tie in with other community initiatives, including economic development.
