TCTC Multiplies Learning Opportunities with Fab Lab

The TCTC Media Center Fab Lab provides opportunities for high school students to learn the techologies and skills they will need after graduation — including wide-format printing.

"When encountering any new technology, high school students are fearless — they just jump right in,” notes Laura Henning, media specialist at Trumbull Career & Technical Center (TCTC). TCTC, located in Warren, Ohio, serves roughly 1,000 11th and 12th graders from 20 schools county-wide. In her years there, Henning has worked to develop the Media Center into a space where all kinds of learning can happen.

“When I got my library degree in 2010, the term ‘maker space’ didn’t even exist,” says Henning. With support from her administration and supervisor, Henning began incorporating equipment and supplies that students could tinker with — everything from alligator clips to full robotics kits.

The success of these efforts led TCTC to fully renovate the Media Center and create a Fab Lab. Completed in 2017, the Media Center Fab Lab boasts a wealth of resources, including a 54" Roland (Booth 4616) TrueVIS SG-540 wide-
format printer/cutter, a Roland MODELA MDX-50 benchtop CNC mill, a laser engraver, a 3D scanner, three types of 3D printers, and a zSpace lab for VR applications.

TCTC offers 32 different educational programs, ranging from welding and ROTC, to newer directions like visual design, graphic design, and web design. “We try to stay ahead of the curve by teaching students what they will need to know for life after high school,” says Henning.