For seven years ending in 2022, there was a STEM partnership school in Aurora, where students from Indian Prairie School District 204 and three nearby districts got a third- through eighth-grade education focused on science, technology, engineering, and math.
When the program closed in July 2022, administrators in IPSD 204 found a different solution for elementary-level STEM education. They reported on the progress of that solution — an educational resource called SAM Labs — in its third year of implementation during the Feb. 3 school board meeting.
Since launching during the 2022-23 school year, the district has expanded SAM Labs to 16 of its 21 elementary schools. Next year, plans call for all elementary schools to begin teaching these activities with support from district-level staff, said Laura Nylen, director of digital learning and STEM integration.
Igniting ‘excitement and motivation’
Teachers who are already offering the SAM Labs curriculum, such as Taylor Ketelaar at White Eagle Elementary, say the program helps build several vital skills in exciting ways. Instead of simply reading about sea turtles in a science unit about the ocean, students “can create their very own sea turtle habitat using software and hardware,” Ketelaar said.
“SAM Labs has ignited excitement and motivation, helping students develop both academic and social-emotional learning skills. Students are actively problem-solving and demonstrating flexibility,” Ketelaar said. “Beyond coding, SAM Labs brings science concepts to life in a way that makes abstract ideas more tangible.”
White Eagle teachers this year were tasked with teaching four SAM Labs “starter lessons” before the end of the year, Principal Tarah Fowler said. By winter break, all teachers had already reached that goal. So while some teachers are still building their confidence in leading SAM Labs, Fowler said the forward-thinking units are a great way to prepare kids for emerging technology and yet-to-be-created careers.
“This is a hands-on way to see how students are thinking in a different way,” Fowler said.
Broader STEM exposure for students
School board members Mark Rising and Susan Demming called SAM Labs a great way to address the closure of the former STEM partnership school, which served roughly 50 students from IPSD 204 each year it operated.
“We’ve taken the opportunity to provide this exposure and knowledge to a much broader spectrum than just a few of our students,” Demming said.
Of teachers at the 16 elementary schools that are implementing SAM Labs so far, 38% are teaching the lessons independently. Another 30% are applying SAM Labs with help through instructional coaching and co-teaching. Meanwhile, 26% are learning to teach these lessons through staff development meetings and assistance from district STEM leaders.
“What we want our students to have is a curious mind about the world around them,” school board member Supna Jain said. “And I can’t think of a better activity than what SAM Labs and these activities do that plant that seed of curiosity and confidence at the same time, which is really, really exciting.”
Next step: Studio 204
Aside from expanding SAM Labs across all elementary schools, Nylen said the STEM staff’s goal is to work on a new innovation center called Studio 204.
The studio, located at the Neuqua Valley Birkett Freshman Center, is imagined as a place where teachers can work and plan together, and students can visit for field trips in which they engage in unique, STEM-focused activities.
“It’s a catalyst for innovation and collaboration,” Nylen said. “It serves as a central hub for fostering creativity, experimentation and collaboration among teachers, students and the community.”
Plans for programming to take place within the Studio 204 space are expected to be further developed throughout next school year, Nylen said.
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