Groton Central School District STEAM Learning Center Garners National Attention
With the beginning of a new school year, the STEAM Learning Center at Groton Central School District officially opened on September 4, 2019.
The $4.8 million center is a renovated 8,000-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) lab and shared-learning space. Our design team used form, light, and materials to create a modern learning environment where both teachers and students will feel valued, focused, and inquisitive.
The STEAM Learning Center has garnered national attention; the story has been published by:
“As opposed to a traditional classroom where students are taught in a rigid box-like setting, this STEAM center was designed as a dynamic interactive place that engages students and teachers in learning,” said ’s Mike Frisina, Architect and Design Tech Manager.
The center was created, in collaboration with school district Superintendent Margo Martin (see Groton CSD video), to be a place where students want to hang out. The former dreary basement at Groton Junior-Senior High School is now a colorful, sun-lit, biophilia-influenced lounge fitted with high-tech, enhanced screens, work stations, adaptable furniture, and state-of-the-art energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems.
“We believe young people will come here and discover their passion, develop their foundational skills and utilize the center’s resources so they can be successful entering college or the workforce,” said Catherine Wolfe, Senior Interior Designer.
The multi-purpose space — complete with a photo, video and music editing studio — will be used for a variety of educational programs that are industry-aligned, including: Building Trades, Computer Science, Engineering & Electronics, Agriculture Technology and Communications & Media Arts.
“This STEAM lab is poised to become a regenerative project for us,” Wolfe said. “And by that, we mean that we expect the center will work toward helping students develop new skills and also help restore the fabric of the surrounding community on environmental, social and economic levels. We like to think that the ‘A’ in STEAM is not only for ‘arts’, but also for ‘accessibility.’ We hope this center continues to evolve into not just something exclusively for students but as a space for everybody and that celebrates the learner as an individual.”