Summit School District 104 implemented a district-wide STEAM Program initiative, and was in need of updating their facilities to support current educational standards. Graves Elementary School and Heritage Middle School was in need of re-imaging their underutilized Library and wanted to transform it into a multi-functional Arts & Engineering Innovation Center.
Heritage/Graves School program is broken out into two spaces: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and an Art/Music Classroom. The Innovation Center includes a Maker-Space for 3D printers, space for a green screen, integrated technology, flexible furniture that would allow for the space to also be used as a classroom, a space to hold School Board and PTA meetings and graduation festivities. An Assessment Room where students can meet quietly with instructions or where students can make-up tests/quizzes if they were absent during class. The newly created corridor has ample magnetic and write-able surfaces to display students art work and community events as well.
Flexible furniture allows the classroom space to quickly adapt to the current curriculum needs, whether that be through large or small group work, or individual instruction. The district desired spaces that were flexible, collaborative and technology equipped. Distinct signage and floor patterns in the corridor help call out this section of the building as the STEM Program, giving recognition to the district’s new initiative.
