Fort Wayne STEAM school gains approval
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – The Fort Wayne Community Schools Board of Trustees has approved a 10-year lease for the development of a new Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics high school at the $440 million Electric Works mixed-use innovation district in the city’s downtown.
The district says the STEAM school will utilize approximately 25,000 square feet and feature collaborative and group-study spaces, as well as high-tech lab studios for programs focused on business, animation, and computer technology, among others.
“Our STEAM school at Electric Works will be vitally important in strengthening our ability to connect the education our students receive with real-world application and effect. Electric Works provides a unique and inspiring opportunity for our students to be as close as possible to the industries and careers they’re studying,” said Board President Julie Hollingsworth.
The school system says the new school will be one of only a few nationwide that focuses on the STEAM disciplines and is established in an active mixed-use district.
The district says the historic, two-story building at Electric Works will provide students hands-on and project-based learning through a personalized, immersive learning environment. The program aims to develop skilled talent and to transition graduates to college and/or to high-tech, high-wage jobs.
“The STEAM school is part of a continuum of education opportunities that are critical to realizing this community’s vision of Electric Works as a district of innovation and opportunity,” added Jeff Kingsbury of RTM Ventures, the development team behind Electric Works. “Quality public education is critical to any community’s economic development strategy. As we partner with Fort Wayne Community Schools to leverage public and private funding to deliver this unique model of experiential learning for the families of Fort Wayne, we are grateful for Dr. Wendy Robinson’s leadership and the board’s commitment.”
The STEAM school is planned to open with the Electric Works west campus in 2022.