While not formally open to the student body yet, the design lab is most certainly up and running. Located in the hallway between the library and the gym, this large space is filled with new tools, furniture, and excitement. Led by teachers Lisa Yokana and Brian McDonald, the new STEAM department is now holding its classes in the innovative space.

Formally, the lab will open of Monday the 22nd of April, just days after the Steam Day event will take place at the middle school. However, there is already much to be excited for and to explore.

The engineering and design classes have to opportunity to take advantage of a new wood working area, (with proper ventilation), flexible furniture, and 3D printing galore. Perhaps most exciting is the new laser cutter, that as McDonald explained, is able to cut through near any material put inside. “I like the layout of it; the setup has a collaborative feel. The versatility makes projects involving many different elements of our design education feasible,” explained Brooke Bensche ’19.

Inside of the lab, students learn a sort of non-linear thinking style applicable to any of their other classes, as well as the non-academic areas of their lives. Combining this design-based ability to tackle broad, abstract problems with the hard skills taught and solidified in the new lab, the classes are preparing their students for the future. “There are multiple ways to approach a problem and there are always things around us that can be improved. This class has taught me a lot,” elaborates Bensche ’19.