Steam and Maker Education
Innovators, Inventors, Leaders
Research shows that girls have higher interest and persistence rates in STEAM fields when they are afforded ample opportunities to tinker and build. Starting in kindergarten and at every stage of their academic careers, Hewitt students experiment with both hand tools and digital fabrication and explore courses in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, robotics, and computer programming.
Our K-12 interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to STEAM ensures that Hewitt girls graduate well on their way to becoming the next generation of innovators, inventors, and leaders.
Highlights of Our STEAM Program
- Graphic design and digital art using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
- Blocks programming in Scratch and Turtle Art
- Text programming in Python, C++, JavaScript, and Processing
- Digital fabrication such as laser cutting, etching, and CNC milling with wood and plastic
- Woodworking skills with hand tools and power tools
- 3D printing and design with Tinkercad
- Tinkering with gears and circuitry
- VEX, Arduino, and combat robotics
- E-textile design with LilyPad
- Creative and physical computing with Makey Makey and Micro:bit
- Fabrication with sustainable materials such as mycelium, repurposed fabric, and recycled plastic
- Computer science classes that engage students in circuitry, software development, product design and fabrication, and building and programming robots
A middle schooler uses a soldering iron to construct a circuit with LED lights
Upper schoolers design and build their own 3D printed lamps
Lower schoolers learn about design engineering as they build wind turbines
In their geometry course, high school mathematicians use protractors and compasses to examine angle relationships
Middle school innovators program and test gears
Students observe photosynthesis and measure how different colored lights affect a plant’s oxygen output
Middle schoolers learn to solve problems using patterns, logic, and reasoning
Students apply number sense and mathematical problem-solving across a variety of disciplines
A middle school student uses a band saw to cut wooden pieces and construct a catapult
Middle school scientists use microscopes to observe microorganisms living in pond water
In grades K-4, lower school innovators imagine, design, and build their own accessible playgrounds
High school students turn their mycelium lampshades into functioning lamps by soldering circuits for programmable lights
In the Hewitt Innovation Lab, students in grades 5-8 get hands-on experience with a variety of building tools and techniques
In grades 9-12, students practice laboratory testing techniques using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
Students conduct investigations and write lab reports to share their findings
Lower school students engineer paper rollercoasters to learn about friction, slope, force, and motion
Chemistry students use balloons to visualize electrostatic forces and Coulomb’s Law
In this hands-on lab, high school students learn about the chemical reactions that occur inside of batteries