Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Small School District Invests Big in STEM Innovation Labs

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 05/30/19

A small South Carolina school district is making a large investment in STEM education. The three-school Florence School District Four opened a STEM "innovation lab" in its elementary school for the 2018-2019 school year and introduced drone pilot certification lessons to high schoolers. Now it plans to open a second STEM lab in its middle school in time for the start of classes next fall.

The space at Brockington Elementary allows students to learn robotics programming, print 3D objects, perform video game design and use drones. Classes rotate through the space, which is currently shared with the middle school. The classroom was set up with the help of a $20,000 donation from Honda, which runs a manufacturing facility in the community.

Small School District Invests Big in STEM Innovation LabsSmall School District Invests Big in STEM Innovation Labs

Elementary school students at Florence School District Four won't have to share their STEM innovation lab (shown here during the opening) when the local middle school gets its own lab in time for the start of school in the fall.

The project was done through a partnership with South Carolina-based STEM U, which works with schools to implement or enhance science, technology, engineering and math programs through professional learning and consulting.

In local reporting, Executive District Administrator Tonya Addison said the launch of the STEM initiatives has "enhanced our morale as a district." As a small school system, she noted, "we really don't have the funding to hire a teacher, but we can offer partnerships that can then bring a multitude of offerings that our students can take part in. It really lets them know that they are on the same playing field as anybody else."

During the next school year, the district also intends to launch robotics teams in its three schools, to allow students to compete in local and regional robotics contests.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • broken digital lock and glowing chain

    Check Point Researchers: AI Has Crossed into the Live Attack Chain

    AI is moving beyond assisting cybercriminals and beginning to operate within live attacks, according to a recent report from Check Point Research. The technology is making sophisticated capabilities faster and more accessible while creating new security risks for businesses deploying their own AI systems.

  • digital graph

    Building Genuinely Data-Informed School Districts

    Schools today generate enormous amounts of data. The difference between collecting it and using it effectively often comes down to quality, access, and context.

  • cloud computing circuit board background

    Cloud Crime on the Rise as Attackers Exploit Trust

    CrowdStrike's latest Threat Hunting Report traces a multiyear shift from conventional intrusions toward attacks that exploit trusted identities, cloud services, AI systems, and software dependencies.

  • abstract glowing cube outlines

    Microsoft Positions Windows as a Platform for AI Agents

    The recent Microsoft Build 2026 developer conference highlighted a significant shift in the company's Windows strategy. Rather than presenting artificial intelligence as a collection of standalone features, Microsoft is increasingly positioning Windows as an operating environment for AI agents.