Grant Stories

Winneconne High School students have the latest in robotics technology in reach, thanks to support from funds within the Winneconne Area Community Foundation. Students now have access to a FANUC Robotic Arm. As the number one industrial robot brand worldwide, students pursuing this field will use FANUC robots in their future careers.

This new technology creates opportunities in the classroom. Chris Arps, a Winneconne Community School District (WCSD) Technology and Engineering Instructor shared, “I am excited that for our first year doing industrial robotics, we are going to have two teams from Winneconne High School compete at the State SkillsUSA competition in April. The students are freshmen so I can’t wait to see how they progress throughout high school. Great and cutting edge things are happening!”

Businesses in the Winneconne-Oshkosh region utilize similar technology. This month, a team from AMCOR will visit the WCSD classroom to see the robotic arm in action. Students will benefit from even more career development; classes will be welcomed to tour the AMCOR facility.

The FANUC Robotic Arm was supported in part by grants from the Winneconne Area Education Fund and the Winneconne Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Fund. Additional support was provided by the Workforce Innovation Grant Program from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The Winneconne Area Community Foundation was founded in 2013 to serve the residents of Winneconne and the surrounding area as a charitable giving partner benefitting charitable organizations that serve residents of the Winneconne Community School District, which includes Larsen, Winchester, Poygan, and Butte des Morts. The Foundation is a geographic affiliate of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

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