Indiana School Gives Kids $30K Design Studio for Tomorrow

Eighth graders at Westside Catholic School in Evansville are launching drones and printing 3D prototypes in a space that looks more like a tech startup than a traditional classroom.

The school's new Design and Innovation Studio opened this year with $30,000 in equipment funded by Vincennes University and the Lilly Endowment. Students in grades 5-8 now spend class time coding, engineering, and building projects that teach them real world skills.

"We believe that when students are given the tools and the freedom to imagine, they don't just design projects. They design possibilities," said Principal Sister Catherine Stewart.

The studio features drones, 3D printers, and coding equipment that middle school science teacher Rebecca Winn says students mastered faster than their teachers. Many had already taught themselves block coding online before ever stepping into the lab.

"They're so integrated with computers," Winn said. "They're just content to jump right in and see what happens next."

The hands on learning prepares students for careers in fields like military robotics and advanced manufacturing. But the school also weaves in lessons about ethics and inclusion, asking students to consider how their designs impact everyone in their community.

When Vincennes University's president attended the December ribbon cutting, Sister Stewart noticed something shift in her students. They started imagining themselves in college for the first time.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just one school getting lucky. Westside Catholic is the third diocesan school in Indiana to open an innovation studio in the past two years. Washington Catholic Elementary and Flaget Elementary both launched similar labs in 2024.

Sister Stewart, who wrote the winning grant proposal, is already working on funding to bring the same equipment to younger students. The goal is to create a full K-8 innovation pathway where kindergarteners start exploring technology that feeds into the advanced work happening in middle school.

Holy Trinity School in Jasper just held their own ribbon cutting in January, becoming the fourth school in the network to open a design studio.

The model shows how targeted grant funding can transform education across an entire region, giving rural and small town students access to the same cutting edge tools available in wealthy suburban districts.

These studios are teaching more than technical skills. Students learn teamwork, creative problem solving, and how to approach new technology without fear.

Tomorrow's innovators are building their confidence today, one 3D print and drone flight at a time.