Throughout the year, our Introduction to Robotics and Advanced Robotics students used the materials purchased with this grant to design and manufacture custom parts and prototypes for their robots. They also created custom signs and branding for their robotics teams, giving them experience with both engineering and graphic design.
This grant also allowed our STEM 6 students to be introduced to graphic design and laser engraving by creating holiday ornaments and personalized keychains. These projects gave students an opportunity to learn the design process while creating something they were excited to take home and gift to their families.
The STEAM program is always evolving. As interdisciplinary collaborations shift and courses develop, ideas find a permanent home. Our new "Shark Tank” themed engineering and entrepreneurship curriculum classes will be offered in 7th and 8th grades next year. Students will use these same grant-funded materials to design prototypes, create branded products, and manufacture pieces for their final projects that will support the school community and meet direct needs in classrooms. It's exciting to see these ideas grow into a lasting part of our curriculum rather than a one-time activity.
More than anything, this grant has helped give students authentic opportunities to create. They spent the year designing, testing, improving, and manufacturing their own ideas instead of simply completing traditional classroom projects. Those experiences build creativity, confidence, collaboration, and problem-solving skills that will benefit them long after they leave our classrooms.
We thank Rome Teachers Federal Credit Union for investing in our students and helping us grow our STEAM program, and thank Mrs. Liz Vaerewyck, our STEAM Coordinator, for championing this program and our students.
