Tenn. (WATE) — The technology lab at Sevierville Intermediate School has received some significant upgrades after being awarded a $27,500 prize by Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Sevierville Intermediate, which serves students in grades 4 through 6, was awarded the grand prize in ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover program. Prior to the transformation, the Title 1 school did not have specialized equipment designed to support integrated STEM education.
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The lab now features 3D printers, a smart greenhouse, virtual reality headsets, robots, a drone, and a driving simulator. ORAU President & CEO Megan Millwood said the new smart greenhouse is a first for any intermediate school in the county.
“It’s such a big deal, because in here we have so many reology teacher Logan Woods. “Kids love coming in here. They see this room, the very first time when they came in here, their instant reaction was, ‘whoa! Like, what is all this stuff!?'”
Woods estimated he spent over 100 hours over the summer setting up the upgraded lab, and said what students learn by using the new technology connects with courses outside the lab, providing new life skills that will help them in the future, whether they pursue a career in technology or not.
“Using the 3D printers, from t-shirt machines, to the brand new greenhouse, all these new skills that they’re learning are going to help them for their future to come,” he said.
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ORAU is a nonprofit federal contractor that works to advance learning, health, and scientific knowledge. Its Extreme Classroom Makeover program has invested more than $550,000 in over 30 local schools over the last 17 years.
“We love to give back to the community, but it also helps prepare this future workforce that we hope to put out in the federal workforce in the future and across the nation,” said Millwood.
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