From School Library to Manufacturing Lab: Ohio’s Next Pathways Start This Fall
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Fredericktown turned its library into a manufacturing lab. A free Discovery Series starting Oct. 27 helps the next 10 Ohio teams plan their own pathways.
At Fredericktown Local Schools, the school library is now an engineering and manufacturing lab. With a Manufacturing Pathways Program grant, the district added an Advanced Manufacturing Pathway next to its existing engineering pathway. Students pair Project Lead The Way coursework with SACA Industry 4.0 credentials and train on Amatrol equipment. The pathway grew out of needs raised by local manufacturers and the district’s STEM Advisory Board.
Fredericktown was one of 10 Ohio sites in the program’s first year. Across those sites, the program served 989 students in 2025-26. They earned 674 industry-recognized credentials and completed more than 58,000 hours of work-based learning.
Now, a second round is open. The Manufacturing Pathways Program, led by Battelle Education with funding from the Walton Family Foundation, will award up to $1.5 million to 10 Ohio schools, districts or consortia building high school pathways into advanced manufacturing and engineering careers. Applications are due Jan. 15, 2027.
Start with the Discovery Series
The Ohio Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Pathways Discovery Series is a set of free, one-hour virtual sessions for school leaders, from superintendents to teachers, and their college and employer partners. All sessions run 1-2 p.m. ET:
- Oct. 27: Why Manufacturing & Engineering Pathways? Pathway Programs in Practice
- Nov. 2: Partnerships that Power Pathways
- Nov. 10: Student Recruitment and Advising
- Nov. 17: Proposal Information Session
Two in-person days follow: Discovery Day: Pathways in Action on Nov. 19 in Central Ohio, and the Proposal Design Lab at Battelle on Dec. 10.
The series is optional and does not count toward scoring, so bring your team to the sessions that fit.
Learn about the program and register for the Discovery Series
Questions? Email manpathway@battelle.org.
The post From School Library to Manufacturing Lab: Ohio’s Next Pathways Start This Fall appeared first on Ohio STEM Learning Network.
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