The Ignition Lab
The Ignition Lab is a workforce development program where 200 students ages 14 to 18 spend time each week
getting real-world experience in fields ranging from culinary arts to automotive and engineering.
The lab opened in Fall 2021 in an old muffler shop purchased for the project by Eighty-Seven and Running.
Graphic Design
Students become proficient in the same programs that professional graphic artists use, creating logos, posters and marketing campaigns and learning to screen-print apparel with their designs.
Electronics
Digital electronics students learn to solder, program microchips and create circuitry to make products ranging from electric guitars to lie-detecting equipment.
Green Tech
Green tech students grow hydroponic gardens, use solar cells to power toys and small appliances, measure and capture wind energy and study the environmental impact of fossil fuels vs. alternative energy.
Digital/Computer Refurbishing
Students learn to take apart and assemble PCs and laptops, diagnose problems and repair or replace parts.
Fabrication/Maker Space
Students are learning to use the CNC router and other manufacturing equipment to make furniture, wall art and a host of wood products.
Product Design/Additive Manufacturing
Product design students use computer-aided design software to convert their ideas into blueprints for items such as clocks and maps that they can actually create using the laser cutter of 3D printers.
Robotics
Robotics students build and code robots to do a variety of tasks from push-ups to block stacking -- even using cameras to navigate out of sight of the operator.
Automotive Engineering
Automotive and engineering students learn to weld, cut metal and use a variety of tools while building an electric car from scratch and restoring a vintage car and converting it to an electric motor.
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts students learn the fundamentals of food preparation, sanitation and safety, then add business skills, such as menu creation, ingredient sourcing and marketing, to prepare to offer catering and operate a food truck.
Recording and Pod Casting Studio
Digital media students write and record podcasts, shoot and edit videos and compose and produce music, gaining the skills needed to create quality content for clients.
