Indiana School Opens STEM Studio to Spark Career Dreams

Students at Holy Trinity School in Jasper, Indiana are getting their hands on technology that could shape their futures, thanks to a new Design and Innovation Studio that opened this school year.

The studio gives third through eighth graders access to robotics, 3D printers, and coding equipment. Fifth graders Tucker Reckelhoff and Hank Bajorek recently programmed a Dobot robotic arm to sort colored blocks, while fourth grader Millie Craig learned to code using a KaiBot.

Holy Trinity is the fourth Catholic school in southern Indiana to open one of these studios in the past two years. The school partnered with Vincennes University and Purdue's Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center to bring 213 standards-aligned lessons in manufacturing, robotics, coding, engineering and science to their students.

Principal Jon Temple noticed a gap in STEM education for third through fifth graders and wanted to fill it. Now the school has a complete STEM sequence from kindergarten through eighth grade, with younger students doing weekly STEM activities and middle schoolers taking Project Lead The Way courses.

Teacher Keri Ballard, who runs the studio, says career exploration is just as important as the technology itself. She talks with students about jobs in microelectronics, robotics, and electrical engineering, many of which don't require a four-year college degree.

"It's my goal to continue to try to spark their interest, meet them where their interest is and take it from there," Ballard said. She wants students to know they can become successful technicians in the STEM world without traditional college paths.

The timing makes sense for Jasper, which sits in Dubois County, a manufacturing hub near high-tech facilities like Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center. Ballard has visited Crane to see cutting-edge work that could inspire her students' future careers.

The Ripple Effect

Beyond technical skills, Temple sees students developing creativity and collaboration as they work together on projects. The studio is exposing young minds to career possibilities they might never have discovered otherwise, potentially filling future workforce needs in their own community.

Schools in Washington, Vincennes, and Evansville have also opened similar studios, creating a network of STEM-focused education across southern Indiana. Students are learning that the path to a fulfilling career can start with a robot and some colored blocks in elementary school.