Virginia-Highland Elementary School opens new STEAM Smart Lab

After the school’s celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony, the students at Virginia-Highland Elementary School were more than excited to start exploring the new devices and gadgets in its new STEAM Smart Lab.

The STEAM Smart Lab has everything from virtual reality headsets, new computers, a 3D printer, tools for circuity building, laser cutters, graphic design programs, videography equipment, and more for the students to get a hands-on learning experience with modern technology.

“It’s an endless possibility in that classroom,” APS interim superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle said after the ribbon cutting. “It’s not just another room full of devices.  It will open up creativity for our students, more critical thinking, and help them work collaboratively with each other.”

Virginia-Highland Elementary School is just one of three APS schools to have a STEAM Smart Lab on campus. The lab is designed to immerse students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Cutting-edge technology and interactive learning tools will provide students with a dynamic environment where they can explore, create, and collaborate.

“This is going to give our students opportunities that we would not have otherwise experienced,” Virginia-Highland Elementary School principal Terry Harness said. “They’re excited to be able to use the resources that the STEAM Lab will be able to provide to do some innovative, critical, creative thinking that they’ll be able to use throughout the day. They want to create. They want to be makers, and this is going to give them that opportunity to do that.”

Watching the students take over the room after the ribbon-cutting ceremony revealed how in-touch with technology the elementary-aged students already are. There was a line for the virtual reality headsets, a huddle around the 3D printer and more students exploring the innovation-inspiring room.

“This has been a long process to get these resources and tools to provide for the students of Virginia-Highland Elementary School access so they can build and experience the things they learn about in class,” APS digital learning specialist for science Tommy Clay said. “You want kids excited about learning. This is what learning should be. It should be kids excited about coming in to school.”