EXCEL Foundation awards $50,000 to Coeur d'Alene schools for labs, media studio

The EXCEL Foundation gave Coeur d'Alene schools two $25,000 grants that will put specialized equipment directly into student hands at Lakes Middle School and Lake City High School, turning private donations into tools for trades training and media production.

At Lakes Middle, the money will buy an xTool MetalFab, an all-in-one machine that combines laser cutting, welding, cleaning and engraving. In practical terms, that means students will be able to move from an idea to a finished product in a safe, structured shop environment instead of relying on equipment the district could not otherwise afford. Woodshop teacher Aaron Fox said the grant will have a big impact and will open doors for students interested in trades, manufacturing and engineering. A student’s reaction captured the excitement inside the building: “sign me up.”

Lake City High School will use its $25,000 grant to build a new media studio for video production and photography. The studio will give students a place to shoot, edit and produce work with professional-style tools, expanding opportunities in journalism, digital media and visual storytelling. For families watching next school year, the measurable changes will be visible in the finished projects coming out of class, from fabricated metal pieces at Lakes to student-produced video and photography work at Lake City.

EXCEL board president Tracy Weimer Shull said the foundation was established in 1986 to support teacher-led innovations that district budgets would not otherwise cover. Since then, it has awarded more than $3 million. The latest awards are part of the second year of the foundation’s Signature Grants program, which can fund up to $25,000 per school, after the board heard presentations from schools before making its decisions.

The grants are a concrete example of how community dollars can shape what students in Kootenai County are able to learn and create. At Lakes, the funding will bring industry-level fabrication into a school shop. At Lake City, it will create a production space for media students. In both buildings, the payoff is immediate: more hands-on learning, more technical skill and more pathways into future jobs.