STE(A)M Labs
Hands-on engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics incorporating art to deepen understanding and offer fresh new perspectives
Students explore the pristine Laurel Watershed in search of indicator species and dragonfly nymphs. Equipped with alert and curious eyes, nets, and sieves, students searched along muddy banks and beneath shallow rocks. After collecting the insects, students used professional lab procedures to log, measure, and identify each individual specimen they captured. Immersive, place-based and hands-on learning contributes to real-world impacts on the scientific community.
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2024-2025
In Partnership with UNCA STEAM Labs and the North Carolina Arboretum, Naturalist Pete Dixon and Stewardship Educator Natalie Hesed guided students through an exploration of their local spaces. Equipped with everything from hand lenses and guide books to drills and saws, students safely captured and identified pollinators in the PAGE heritage garden and built bee hotels for solitary nesting bees to be places throughout Madison County.
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2023
Under the guidance of Astronomer and If/Then Ambassador Mimi Fuchs, students learned about our galaxy and beyond. Weaving together indigenous knowledge and state-of-the-art technology, students explored how celestial bodies are formed, built their own galileoscopes, and considered both the cultural and scientific impacts of space exploration.
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2022
The Heritage Garden at our programmatic homesite is an on-going space of cultivation and exploration. From the orchard to the raised beds, students learn about native and cultivated plants, land stewardship, native pollinators, and beyond.