Cornerstone Christian Academy in Willoughby Hills, Ohio, has been awarded a substantial grant of $64,935 from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to enhance its STEM teaching technology. Out of 100 applicants, CCA was chosen along with 27 other schools to receive the Nonpublic STEM Grant.
The grant will be used to purchase machinery that will support the school’s technical and vocational training programs. This includes laptops for the Computer Assisted Design certification program, three additional 3D printers, a 3D scanner, a CNC router/plasma cutter table, and a full-color large format vinyl cutting printer.
The school already offers industry-standard equipment for student certifications in machine operations and computer-aided machining. The new resources will further enhance the students’ learning experience and allow them to create actual parts using the school’s growing collection of equipment.
In addition to the technology upgrades, the grant will also support the development of a woodworking shop at CCA. This will include a vertical band saw, floor-mount metal band saw, and bench grinder to help students learn basic woodworking skills.
According to STEM Instructor Bill Fischer, these skills are highly valuable in today’s world. He believes that teaching students practical skills like woodworking can stimulate creativity and open up opportunities in engineering and the trades.
Head of School Sandi Ortiz expressed gratitude for the grant, stating that it will help supercharge the school’s existing technical and vocational programming. Cornerstone Christian Academy, a non-profit chartered school, currently serves nearly 500 students through 12th grade.