A Milestone Worth Celebrating
The STEM Academy’s first-ever STEM Showcase marked a major milestone in the school’s inaugural year. Opened in Fall 2025 for the 2025–2026 academic year, the STEM Academy is Virginia’s first and only K-5 College Partnership Lab School, operating through a partnership between Old Dominion University and Suffolk Public Schools.
The showcase brought together families, educators, community members, and partners to celebrate what students accomplished during the lab school’s first year. Through presentations, demonstrations, and interactive exhibits, students proudly shared the knowledge, skills, and experiences they gained through hands-on STEM learning. Each student answered three questions:
- What did you learn about your project topic?
- How could scientists use this skill or information in the future?
- Which 5 C’s skills (Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Citizenship) would scientists need to use for this work, and why?
Hydroponic Heroes: Growing Without Soil! – 1st Grade student “Dr. Coon” showed his knowledge as a botanist by sharing his study of plants and ways to grow them to fellow students and parents.
Peanut Carwash: Students Dallas (4th Grade) and Callie (3rd Grade) explained their Peanut Carwash project to STEM Academy third-grade teacher Ms. Trent about their Peanut Carwash after learning about the peanut process from their VR tour of the Birdsong Peanut Company based in Suffolk, VA.
Mini Meteorologists: Our First Grade Forecasts – 1st Grade students “Dr. Kill” and “Dr. Burton” are meteorologists that demonstrate what they learned about the weather and how it affects the Earth.
More than a display of student projects, the event highlighted the STEM Academy’s mission to foster student agency, innovation, and real-world problem-solving. As a laboratory school, the STEM Academy serves as a hub for educational innovation, integrating research-based practices, experiential learning, and emerging technologies to create meaningful learning experiences for students.
The showcase demonstrated how students are not only learning STEM concepts but also developing critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and citizenship skills that will help prepare them to become future leaders and innovators.
