NEW BEDFORD  :  Global Learning Charter Public School (GLCPS), a tuition-free public charter school that currently services 500 students in grades 5-12, will receive a Thinkabit Lab™ from the University of San Diego and Qualcomm, the wireless tech company founded by Irwin Jacobs.

The Thinkabit Lab™ will be housed in the second building currently being renovated that will serve as a new home to GLCPS’ high school grade levels and creative space. At the Thinkabit Lab™ students explore engineering and non-engineering careers available at tech companies and engage in fun and unique hands-on engineering projects. Together, the career exploration and engineering activities help students understand where they might fit in the future workforce and how they could contribute to solving real-world problems using technology. 3D printers, precision wood-cutting machines and a kiln for ceramics are among the equipment that will be housed in the new facility.

Qualcomm is a company of inventors and cares deeply about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Through the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab™ program they aim to show students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds that they can be part of inventing the wireless world of the future.

“Our students are going to have significant hands-on experience developing and manufacturing things, running a business,” said Dr. Stephen Furtado, Executive Director of GLCPS. “It’s amazing what our students are going to have at their fingertips. We are very grateful to Qualcomm and the University of San Diego for this wonderful learning opportunity.”