As an after school enrichment program, STEAM fosters purposeful play and provides an opportunity for students to hone their engineering and design skills by creating useful devices from a given set of materials.  In the area's first dedicated Makers Lab for elementary-aged students,  STEAM presents a hands-on experience introducing participants to a number of skills including woodworking, electrical circuitry, sewing, 3D printing, and much more.  Each group participates in a mini-workshop to expand their skills and hone their talents. Then, students design, build, and create their very own products based on their interests and workshop badges.  Past products could include, but are not limited to, LED pins, Bristlebots, toys, fashion items, simple chairs, and model planes.

The integrated curriculum of STEAM Studio is enhanced regularly by field experiences that not only connect a topic to real-world learning, but also connect students’ varying world experiences. Field experiences challenge the student to think - and act - beyond the classroom by allowing them to explore different applications and perspectives of their knowledge.

Guest experts are an important part of the educational experience for STEAM students. They not only expose students to real-world applications of their STEAM Studio topics, but give further insight and perspective of the guest speaker’s particular field. Glimpses of life as a bio-engineer for the student who is fascinated by the movement of microorganisms could be a key roadway on the map of that student's future.

When designing the curriculum for STEAM Studio, Angela Nelson and her STEAM Team work to create dynamic, integrated lessons that pull from different areas of study and cut across subject-matter lines emphasizing unifying concepts. Through the multi-disciplinary study of expertly-curated units, each student is introduced to a range of learning opportunities leading to a more individualized experience that contributes to the fun and challenging environment that is STEAM Studio. Integrated curriculum bridges the gap between a student’s real-life experiences and the classroom, resulting in more student engagement through challenging and exciting lessons and a higher mastery of concepts.

We encourage students to explore the possibilities through discovery- and project-based learning. By wrestling with challenging questions, manipulating objects, and experimenting to solve problems, STEAM Studio students can bring in their own observations leading to meaningful insights. Students gain confidence in themselves as they realize that through their own learning processes they can reach the answers to those challenging questions and solve complicated problems.