A $5,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will help students at Thompson’s Station Middle School bring their designs to life.
The grant money helped purchase 3D printers that can be used during Express classes, which encourage students to explore and learn new skills. Principal Jason Loudon says students can use the technology to create and print their own designs in the library.
“Students continually fill these sessions weekly, and it is amazing to see how creative they are,” said Loudon. “Without even realizing it, students are finding solutions to real world problems in a fun, hands-on way. For instance, we have some students who have already created designs to improve the comfort of mask straps.”
TSMS media specialist Carrie Gordon says she hopes the grant will help students see the importance of STEM concepts in everyday life.
“Five years ago, STEM was a fun introduction to engineering and science,” said Gordon. “Now it’s a platform teachers use to push our students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.”
