MARSHFIELD – Security Health Plan has contributed $5,000 to an exciting new venture called the C2 Collaborate & Create Makerspace, a hands-on learning environment where students, entrepreneurs and community members can work together using cutting-edge tools and equipment that may not exist in local school settings.

 

The C2 Makerspace is a collaboration between Marshfield-based non-profit Shiloh Bound, Mid-State Technical College, Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce, local K-12 schools, industry partners like Hastreiter Industries Corp. and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Marshfield, where the space will be located. It will serve K-12 students in the greater Marshfield area and focus primarily on 5-12th grade Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)-related activities and extracurricular clubs.

 

“The C2 Makerspace will be supporting the technical education of approximately 11 school districts in the Marshfield region. The facility will provide students access to technology, career exploration and extracurricular opportunities that do not exist at their current schools or are limited,” said Kylan Hastreiter, vice president of Hastreiter Industries Corp. “This supports students’ education, hands-on experience and soft skills. It provides a route for students to find local career opportunities and to apply their discovered passions through youth apprenticeships or other programs.”

 

The goal of the project is to keep students in the area after they graduate, because through their experience and relationships from the C2 Makerspace, they have greater potential to find a good job in which they can use their skills. Security Health Plan is contributing to this project in an effort to support education and employment opportunities in local communities.

 

“Our mission to build healthy communities includes supporting local education and employment,” said Kara Johnson, director of Sales for Security Health Plan. “We are excited to be a part of building more opportunities for desirable jobs in the local area. Great employment opportunities help make a community thrive.”

 

The C2 Makerspace collaborators have completed their private stage 1 fundraising, securing $224,350 from local businesses and organizations. They’ve also received another $125,000 in grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Wood County.

 

They recently hired Director Mark Bowie, who worked and taught in the aerospace engineering and manufacturing field for more than 20 years. His role will be instrumental in the next phase turning to a public fundraising campaign and a soft launch of the makerspace in the months to come.

 

For more information, please visit www.c2makerspace.com.

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