Hull Memorial Middle School Receives Grant from Lowe’s to Create Makerspace

Memorial Middle School recently received a $5,000 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant to create a makerspace. Back row, left to right: Dillon Simpson-Sliney, Kaelyn Burke, Brandon Sullivan, Hailey Putnam-Resnick, Oliver Szabo and Meghan McDonald. Second row, left to right: Emma Driscoll, Tallula Clancy, Aalina Colon-Silverman and Marie Marois. Front row: Max Day. (Courtesy Photo Hull Public Schools)

HULL — Students at Memorial Middle School will soon have a new place to explore their creativity thanks to a $5,000 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant.

Hull middle school is one of 545 schools across the U.S. to receive one of the awards for improvement projects. The funding will be used to create a makerspace — an area where students can gather to create, invent, tinker and discover new ideas using a variety of tools and materials.

The makerspace will enhance the school’s engineering/technology courses by adding two wifi-enabled 3D printers that will meet Massachusetts science frameworks. The makerspace will be installed in the engineering-technology suite for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

“The Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program delivers on Lowe’s commitment to improve the educational environment for students across the country,” said Maureen Ausura, chairwoman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “We’re honored to work with Memorial Middle School to support the needs of our local students, teachers and families.”

The Hull Parent Teacher Organization presented the grant to the school and engineering/technology teacher Brandon Sullivan on May 16.

“Receiving this grant is an example of the partnership between the PTO, Lowe’s and the Hull Public Schools to expand our engineering program and provide unique learning opportunities at the middle school,” said Hull PTO Co-President Amy Hyde. “New technology purchased with the grant money will give students another opportunity to write computer code, learn about the engineering design process, and in doing so, utilize the latest technology.”

Since its inception in 2006, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education has provided nearly $45 million in grants to more than 10,000 schools, benefiting more than 6 million schoolchildren. Grants are available to U.S. public schools for a wide range of improvement projects. Schools may be eligible to receive Toolbox grants up to $100,000. For more information, visit ToolboxForEducation.com.