STEM Centers Spark Innovation and Teamwork at Aukamm Elementary

On Thursday, Oct. 24, 2025, Aukamm Elementary buzzed with excitement as third through fifth graders came together for a dynamic STEM collaboration marking the end of the first academic quarter.

In two 30-minute sessions, students rotated through hands-on challenges facilitated by their teachers, blending creativity, engineering and teamwork across grade levels.

STEM Centers Spark Innovation and Teamwork

Each station offered a unique challenge designed to stretch students’ problem-solving skills:

• Geometric Hexaflexagon Fidgets: Third grade teacher Ms. Ernestine guided students in crafting geometric fidgets that blended math and design. “Students often find this activity a favorite because they are curious about how it works,” Bowen said.
• AI-Generated Art: Third grade teacher Mr. Barlowe introduced students to Adobe Creative Cloud, teaching them how to generate AI-powered images — a futuristic twist on STEM learning that supports writing.
• Paper Chain Engineering: Fourth grade teacher Mrs. MacPherson led students in constructing the longest possible paper chains, encouraging precision and strategy.
• Index Card Tower and Bridge: Fourth grade teacher Ms. Lechuga facilitated a two-part challenge — first, building the tallest index card tower, followed by a bridge-building contest. The winning bridge impressively supported 15 full-sized Webster’s dictionaries.
• Spaghetti Marshmallow Structures: Fifth grade teacher Ms. Knudsen challenged students to build stable structures using spaghetti and marshmallows, testing their engineering instincts.
• Cup and String Stacker: Fifth grade teacher Ms.  Hunchusky led a teamwork-based challenge in which students used strings to collaboratively stack cups. “It’s fun to meet the future fifth grade students through these activities and see how they work and interact with each other’s thinking,” Hunchusky said.

Building Bridges — Literally and Figuratively

The event wasn’t just about STEM — it was about connection. Fourth grade teacher Ms. Lechuga said, “Doing vertical collaboration not only brings students together, but it also brings teachers together.”

This cross-grade initiative fostered mentorship, curiosity and camaraderie, giving younger students a glimpse into future challenges and older students a chance to lead and inspire.

Fifth grader Kate noted, “We don’t know other teachers, and working with these activities helped make us more of a community. Now I don’t see them as just another teacher, but more like a neighbor.”

Looking Ahead: Quarterly STEM Themes

The success of this event has inspired the team to continue the tradition. Upcoming quarterly STEM themes include:

• Second Quarter: Holidays Around the World
• Third Quarter: Technology
• Fourth Quarter: Sports Games

With such engaging plans ahead, Aukamm Elementary is setting a powerful example of how vertical collaboration can enrich learning and build a vibrant school community.