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Kids and parents build LEGO creations with Bricks 4 Kidz during the 2023 AMP Lab Open House.
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Families explore what's inside the AMP Lab on a tour of the space.
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Kids have fun building and constructing with Tinker Toys.
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Kids watch an EggBot translate their design onto a ping-pong ball.
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Kids have the opportunity to experience the excitement of sitting in a WMU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Formula SAE car.
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A young boy holds a fidget spinner cut by a CNC machine.
The AMP Lab @ WMU is located in downtown Grand Rapids.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Western Michigan University-Grand Rapids will team up with Autocam Medical, Bricks 4 Kidz, GRCC, Grand Rapids YMCA, JR Automation and WMCAT once again to host the third-annual free AMP Lab Open House event. Future scientists ages 5-12 are invited to come explore the world of STEAM hands-on through robotics demonstrations, 3D printers in action, motorized LEGO building and much more at WMU-Grand Rapids’ downtown campus located at 200 Ionia Ave. SW in Grand Rapids on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It is a privilege to collaborate with WMU for their third-annual AMP Lab Open House,” says Sheryl Egner, owner of Bricks 4 Kidz Grand Rapids. “At Bricks 4 Kidz, we share their passion to prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers, programmers, and designers in all fields. By providing rich and varied experiences in STEAM education, we hope to spark the imagination of young attendees and get them excited to dream about careers that will drive technology forward well into the 21st century.”
Occupying the first two floors of WMU’s Grand Rapids regional location, the state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Laboratory, or AMP Lab, is designed to help the next generation of engineers, designers and other skilled professionals develop their talents and reinvigorate the advanced manufacturing industries.
"We are proud to call the AMP Lab @ WMU our home for manufacturing education and to be able to provide K-12 students a place where they can explore the many opportunities that exist in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,” says Dr. Steve Butt, dean of WMU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “As we host our third annual event, we continue to see the immense value in connecting with our local community and in our partnerships with industry leaders to prepare students for the future.”
Kids watch a robot play blackjack at the AMP Lab @ WMU.
“The AMP Lab @ WMU is a testament to what can be achieved when industry and academia join forces,” says John Kennedy IV, general manager of Autocam Medical. “The AMP Lab was designed to foster collaborative learning between industry leaders, educators, and students, and we are proud to work with our education partners to showcase the vast career possibilities the STEAM-related fields have to offer.”
Leading the charge in STEAM education across Southwest Michigan, the AMP Lab @ WMU brings ideas to life and pushes the future of technological advancement forward by offering cutting-edge training combined with hands-on instruction in computer numerical control (CNC) programming, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and much more.
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.