Nokomis students are embracing technology to learn more.

Nokomis school believes in working together to achieve success, and in the spring of 2017, the students indicated a need for an extra-curricular club that focuses on academic content.

With the need present, the school developed a STEAM Studio in 2017 which allowed students from Kindergarten to grade 8 to participate in STEAM activities.

The studio provides the students with a fun opportunity to broaden their knowledge in different areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. This extra-curricular club also allows the students to interact with other students who share similar interests. This past year the club has had a 75% student body involvement throughout the school.

Erin Richards Grade 3-4 teacher in Nokomis explained how the STEAM Studio works.

"Almost all of the activities we do are student-driven, so they tell me what they want to learn about and I find an activity we can do and we follow through with whatever activity they choose to do. So it's all student-initiated I am just there to help facilitate and help them execute their plan."

The school was selected to received a grant for the amount for $10,000 to put towards a virtual reality set for virtual field trips, robotics, a 3D printer, and additional supplies to expand on the STEAM Studio.

Richards talked about the items they are purchasing and how they will be utilized in the school.

"We purchased google expedition, which is a set of 20 virtual reality goggles where students can go and explore different things, like biome, open heart surgery, and the Eiffel Tower. So it gives them a virtual field trip without ever leaving the classroom."

The students and staff have seen a great benefit with the STEAM Studio and they have allowed students in the club to utilize the technology after school hours.

In this year alone the students participated in many events from balloon-powered cars, animation on Chromebooks, maze construction, tower and structure construction and durability, aerodynamics, kinetic and potential energy tasks, motion, coding and introduction to coding, construction of robot models, and catapults. 

The students are always engaged and left wanting more from the STEAM Studio.

"Almost all of the activities we do are student-driven, so they tell me what they want to learn about and I find an activity we can do and we follow through with whatever activity they choose to do. So it's all student-initiated I am just there to help facilitate and help them execute their plan."