Kenowa Hills — At this year’s STEM Academy Maglev tournament — a 3D-printed, magnetic levitating cars race — eighth-graders kept their eyes on large TVs above the inclined track, as the brackets dwindled down to the final three racers.
The action was displayed live on the screens, which was a good thing, said Superintendent Jerry Hopkins, in case a photo finish needed review.
The four screens mounted around a pillar in the center of the STEM classroom, which replaced a projector and pull-down screen, have been dubbed the “jumbotron” by STEM teacher Steven Feutz.
The “jumbotron” is just one of many recent bond-funded upgrades to the STEM classroom, located in the middle school’s former auto body shop. Approved by voters in 2020, the district’s $67 million bond, focused on improvements to the early childhood center, middle and high schools.
Feutz said he pushed for mounting the large screens in the classroom during the renovation’s design phase.
“Turning the lights off in the workshop to see the screen better was not ideal,” he said.
During the past two summers, STEM Academy renovation projects were completed in phases for students to use by the fall and now, the to-do list is nearly complete.
Metal lockers, the last reminder of the old shop, used to store car parts and tools and now house students’ helmets for the Gone Boarding unit, during which students create longboards and paddleboards. Students previously worked under bright ceiling lights with no windows, which reminded sophomore Thomas Barbo of working in an “old barn.”
“We had no windows, but now having all the natural light helps us see what we are working on,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
Over half of the classroom’s exterior walls now have large windows, allowing natural light to spill inside.
Last fall, Feutz said they started working with new woodworking equipment and now, their classroom is divided into a main instruction area, two smaller workshops with project storage space and a room for over 20 3D printers and a new laser cutter.
Sophomore Madison Wetter said, “It’s so much better. It’s nice and open and it feels a lot bigger.”
Feutz added: “It’s a much better space and (the new renovations) make sense for what we’re doing here in STEM.”
Read more from Kenowa Hills:
• The Gus Macker Tourney, powered by district marketing students
• STEM rocket project launches students into summer
