In a room full of robots and iPads, Isabella Garza was drawn to a box of large colorful straws and connectors.
She envisioned the frame of a house and immediately began connecting the straws.
“I love making big things,” the first-grade student at Tuscany Heights Elementary said.
The colorful straws and connectors used by the future engineer are just one small part of the school’s STEAM Lab, funded thanks to a grant from the North East Educational Foundation (NEEF).
The lab features different stations with innovative technology and hands on learning opportunities. Students have access to an Osmo Genius Kit used with iPads, straws and connectors for engineering challenges, Dash Robots as well as Sphero coding with a spherical robot on an ipad, and much more. They’ll also be able to use a 3D printer soon.
“It’s hard not to be really excited,” said Jean Ann Johnson, campus librarian. “Every time I come down here they are engaged.”
NEEF board members recently got a special glimpse at how the lab is igniting curiosity and inspiring creativity in students.
The youngsters had a great time showing the adults in the room the exciting STEAM experiences they are taking part in. Students in kinder through fifth grade are able to enjoy the lab during their “specials” rotation.
“I just can’t thank you enough because I feel like every grade level benefits from your generosity,” Johnson told the board members. “We do code all the way from kindergarten through fifth, so it’s exciting times.”
NEEF is proud to support the STEAM Lab at Tuscany Heights Elementary School thanks to the generosity of our donors.
