During the 2013-14 school year, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School in Coconut Grove, FL launched its STEM initiative with a series of stand alone workshops and activities that captured students’ hands, hearts and minds. Catapults, Contraptions, Makey Makey, Bulletin Board Marble Mazes and K’nex Amusement Center are several of the workshops that 1st graders through 5th graders experienced throughout the year in the Fab Lab program (“Fab as in fabulous,” the students would say) during one or several of their recess periods.

The program, optional for students, was very well attended. To tell the truth, students couldn’t get enough of the materials, resources and tools that felt like toys and the work that felt like play.

The common thread of this inaugural STEM program was neither science, technology, engineering nor math but rather creativity. As long as the potential for engaging students’ hands, hearts and minds was high, the proposed workshop or activity was green lighted.

With the STEM initiative at St. Stephen’s moving in the direction of a program defined by its “Maker” activities and design thinking mindset, the future of the Fab Lab @ Recess is bright indeed.

Without a doubt, the STEM initiative at St. Stephen’s will continue to reach students where they think, work, build, play and create.

Enjoy this video of students at work and play in the Fab Lab:

http://video214.com/play/bwU0VqqUdDEPVtbWFw807A/s/dark