Engineering the future: Lincoln Elementary gets STEM center

Jason R. O'Day, The Dickinson Press, N.D.
·2 min read

Aug. 25—DICKINSON — Oilfield corporations Flogistix, Devon Energy and Marathon Oil joined forces to sponsor a Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation effort to establish their first STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Center in North Dakota at Lincoln Elementary School. School officials celebrated the new learning opportunities it will bring with an assembly and ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, the first day of school.

Caitlin Kurtz, the foundation's STEM education coordinator, said the center came at a cost of approximately $32,500. The Center includes a brand new 3D printer, snap circuits, Bee-Bots and Ozobots that will push students to improve their problem solving and critical thinking skills. She noted the foundation has plans to bring these centers to the other elementary schools in Dickinson as well.

The Ozobots are small robotic balls that move across a piece of paper in different ways based on the color and trajectory of lines. They have other uses outside of STEM that will help engage students with their curriculum. The school's Library Media Specialist Marisa Riesinger said she'll be using them in class when students draw maps for social studies or chart emotions for a story that's being read.

"We're tying in a lot of literature and informational texts, using that as purposeful and intentional play within the STEM lab. The possibilities are endless," Reisinger said.

This center is one of 222 established by the foundation across 18 states. The library's new 3D printer has already produced a toy cat, key chain and a pair of dice. Tim Bancells, the foundation's assistant STEM director, said they have an annual convention where students are challenged to seek out and solve real world problems. One example that stood out to him was a group of students helping a classmate with a disability.

"He did not have a hand. So they 3D printed a hand. And their challenge to themselves was that they had to make it good enough so he could hold a glass of water. They were actually able to connect it... He was able to pick up and move the glass," Bancells said. "It was elementary school kids thinking of that and I'm like wow, that's way more than I could think of."

Principal Tammy Peterson said they've been dabbling in STEM activities for the past three to five years but have struggled to fully integrate it into the curriculum in a way that boosts proficiency.

"This is a great opportunity where we have the tools now so it can become part of our daily teaching with so many opportunities for students. This is their future and we want to make sure that they're career ready," Peterson said. "We are a building of just under 400 students. So to receive this opportunity, it was definitely a blessing."