Allen ISD Where Eagles Soar Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 6

Allen ISD STEAM Center groundbreaking on June 21, 2017.
A
llen ISD is building steam – literally. The school
district broke ground for its new $39 million
Science, Technology,
Engineering, Art and Mathematics
(STEAM) Center on June 21
and plans to open the facility on
Ridgeview Drive in late 2018.
The center was initially approved
by voters as part of the $272 million
bond proposal in 2015. The state-
of-the-art facility will serve 400 to
500 high school students each class
period. In addition, the center and
surrounding land will serve as a
destination for grades K-8 outdoor
and indoor field trips.
“This is not an academy,” according to Jennifer Wilhelm,
assistant superintendent for learner services. “This is a facility
for all of our students. Every one
of our students, K-12, will attend
this center in some form or fashion.
It will touch on every portion of
STEAM learning. The idea is to
create, build and foster an interest in
STEAM while meeting the standards
of TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills).”
Beginning in kindergarten,
students will visit the facility once
or twice a year for environmental
education or STEAM-related field
trips. This will allow classes to have learning experiences
closer to home than most field trips.
The STEAM Center will include a facility for K-8
students to explore gardens, an outdoor pond,
wildflower meadows and a forested area.
Major features of the STEAM Center include science labs,
robotics labs, collaborative learning spaces, a K-8 discovery
lab and a maker space for hands-on building and exploration
activities. Outdoor features will include a pond for aquatic
studies, discovery gardens, wildflower meadows, forested
areas with seating, and an outdoor performance plaza.
A sample of courses that might be offered at the STEAM
Center include: aquatic science, earth and space science,
architectural design, engineering design, robotics and
automation, web technologies and digital media.
Where many STEAM schools in the state are reserved for
students who qualify, the Allen ISD STEAM Center will be
visited by more than 2,000 students in grades 10-12 each
school day.
6
Allen ISD
is Building
STEAM
“One of biggest features for STEAM is the accessibility
to the environment,” according to Daniel Pitcock, assistant
superintendent for operations. “If you are studying aquatic
science, for example, you will have direct access to the on-site
pond or nearby Rowlett Creek.”
Allen ISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Niven expects
the center to add a new level to the district’s educational
opportunities for students.
“The STEAM Center facility will take many of these
programs to a new level,” said Dr. Niven. “There are
opportunities for students to explore and work together in
an environment that promotes independent thinking and
inventive ideas.”