YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown Rayen Early College High School received a $30,000 grant from Howmet Aerospace Corp. to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

The grant will be used to buy supplies for the early college’s science classes and maker space.

A maker space is a dedicated area designated for students to learn, create, solve problems and collaborate.

Howmet manufactures components for jet engines, fasteners and titanium structures for aerospace applications, and forged aluminum wheels for heavy trucks. The Pittsburgh-based corporation operates worldwide and has a facility in Weathersfield Township.

In 2020, the early college also received a $30,000 grant from the Howmet Aerospace Foundation as well as $10,000 from the Walter and Caroline Watson Foundation, $5,000 from the Sen. Maurice and Florence Lipscher Charitable Fund and $5,000 from the Turning Foundation, all for the maker space project.

Vista AST2 and Applied Systems Technology also donated $3,000 for 3D printers for the space.

“We would like to thank Howmet Aerospace Corp. for their continued support of Youngstown Rayen Early College High School and all of the grant funders for their support of the maker space,” said Monica Jones, early college principal.

The school’s maker space leadership team used the grants to furnish the space and to buy equipment and supplies for students to use in the space including a vinyl/cutter printer, CNC mill, 3D printers, Cricuts, a sewing machine and a laser cutter.

Staff and students will be training on the equipment in the space over the next two months. The space will be available to students in all classes and for individual student-designed projects in the after-school program.