Design Lab closes after four years of enriching elementary students’ lives in Fond du Lac
After four years of enriching the lives of children in Fond du Lac, Design Lab at the Fond du Lac Public Library is coming to a close.
Design Lab was introduced to the community in 2021 as a part of a nationwide collaboration that delivered out-of-school time science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) programming for youth through an ecosystem model. It focused on helping traditionally repressed or ignored populations of 3rd-5th graders in the Fond du Lac School District, challenging them to grow and imagine solutions for real-world problems and 21st century career pathways.
“Design Lab is a creative environment where students can explore and test ideas and be supported and encouraged. Students are led to their own discoveries and insights through thoughtful questions by teachers, and staff,” said Lora Vahlsing, Curriculum and Instruction Manager with Design Lab.
Activities ranged from making conceptual food trucks and then giving presentations on how they would work, to creating and testing solar ovens, to working with local artists and meeting with local organizations.
Funding, curriculum, ad project resources were provided through a national organization, Dramatic Results. Design Lab’s support came through Dramatic Results’ STEAM Ecosystem Expansion Demonstration (SEED) Project, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Well Rounded Education.
This financial backing enabled Design Lab to hold weekly sessions during the school year and multiple week-long camps each summer. Youth were empowered to expand their horizons through an innovative out-of-school-time program that merged STEAM activities with design thinking principles.
“I think the beauty in Design Lab is watching students grow in that mindset of not just overcoming struggle or failure as they explore new or difficult tasks, but in watching them realize their ability and sense of pride in their exploration,” said Crystal Zuhlke, Program Specialist with Design Lab.
The local program was one of three demonstration sites across the United States using Dramatic Results’ educational model for developing community-based STEAM ecosystems.
“I loved watching and listening to students work through their individual tasks and group work,” Zuhlke said, explaining that at the end of the program students would express a “sense of pride in what they created and how they learned to work together and those moments.”
The decision to close the program was financial; following four years of a five-year grant, Dramatic Results was notified in August that the U.S. Department of Education would not fund the final year of the grant due to a shift in the administration’s priorities.
Despite the early closure, staff of Design Lab at the Fond du Lac Public Library are proud of what students achieved over the past four years and have special memories of their time helping local youth. Of the nearly 500 students served, 79% reported growth in creativity, with many discovering new artistic skills and confidence, and 86% felt they gained social awareness, recognizing the value of collaboration and diverse perspectives.
Vahlsing recalls working with a student who discovered a love for working with clay: “He just loved it! You could see it in his eyes, and he said how ‘40 years from now, he would remember that moment.’ He knew that moment was a pivotal moment in his life, and had the wisdom to see it and value it.”
Zuhlke also appreciated the breakthroughs she saw students make.
“Of my favorite quotes, Daphne’s will forever live in my heart because I saw her come in, lacking confidence in meeting new people,” Zuhlke said. “[Daphne said] ‘I really struggle to work in a group with others and I am really proud of myself because I learned to talk to them and we ended up learning to work really well together.’”
Vahlsing added that the experience was as valuable to its staff as it was for its students.
“Design Lab was unifying. People came together, and created this wonderful thing in our community. The Design Lab parents are generous, appreciative, and caring. We appreciated this experience, and being a part of it. Design Lab changed us for the better, and we are excited to see what the students do with their experiences,” she said. “The Design Lab staff is grateful for the privilege of working together on this project.”
Professional development was a cornerstone of the SEED Project, equipping educators with the skills and confidence to deliver high-quality, arts-integrated STEAM programming. The Design Lab worked directly with Pre-Service Teachers seeking their teaching credentials through Marian University. 80% of participants who received training reported substantial knowledge increases in a variety of topics, with 94% feeling they could apply something from the professional development to their roles outside of SEED, particularly as it relates to social emotional learning, empathy, and mindfulness practices.
Library leaders stated they were grateful for the opportunity to provide Design Lab for the past four years, and voiced appreciation for the support shown by community organizations such as Marian University, Thelma Center for the Arts, and all of its local partners.
Though Design Lab no longer operates, the Fond du Lac Public Library continues to offer a variety of programs and services that can enrich the education of students.
The Idea Studio, where the majority of the programming for Design Lab occurred for the first three years of the grant, continues to operate as a free makerspace for the Fond du Lac community. Though most equipment use requires a user to be 13 years old or older for use, the Idea Studio offers a variety of free maker activities and supplies for those who are not badged on equipment.
The library also offers a variety of educational kits and equipment that can be checked out. STEAM kits available include anatomy models, specimen kits, microscopes, telescopes, robots, coding activities, architecture sets, stencils, tangrams, and much more.
STEAM activities also are planned throughout the year for all ages, including youth-oriented events such as Maker Mondays, Paint-Along, Crafty Kids, and more. Learn more about upcoming events for youth, teens, and adults at calendar.fdlpl.org.
Thanks to Dramatic Results® for funding that has allowed us to deliver the STEAM Ecosystem Expansion Demonstration (SEED) Project in our community from 2021-2025. Dramatic Results has been developing the Ecosystem model since 2017, exploring ways to reinvent the learning experience using human-centered design.
Support for SEED has come from the U.S. Dept of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) grant, Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer, The Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation, the Port of Long Beach, and the Bess J. Hodges Foundation. Reach out to admin@dramaticresults.org to find out how you can empower learners and educators in your community using arts integration.
Fond du Lac Public Library operates two locations: the Main Library at 32 Sheboygan St. in downtown Fond du Lac, and the Allen J. Buechel Branch at 1139 E. Johnson St. near Festival Foods. The main library is open daily: Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Chapter 52 Bookstore at 52 Sheboygan St. is open Monday through Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the Allen J. Buechel Branch is open weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information about any of these locations, visit fdlpl.org.