Frontier Schools is seeking capital funding to build a 2600 square foot Innovation Lab annex at its new Frontier STEM High School located at 6455 E. Commerce Avenue. The proposed Innovation Lab will be a state of the art ‘makers space’ where students will conceive of, design and create projects in collaboration with their teachers, all while utilizing the latest in an assortment of established and emerging technologies, both physical and digital.

The Innovation Lab will provide students with endless opportunities to apply theory to practice, and school graduates with a higher probability for success as they continue to college and careers in data management, manufacturing, clinical research, and an array of other STEM related fields locally and regionally. The goal of the space is for it to be a blank canvas, where student conceived projects can take shape under the guidance of their Project Lead The Way curriculum trained instructors. Approximately 400 students from grades 9-12 will use their STEMbased knowledge to begin moving from abstract design to hands-on product development. This projectbased approach is an essential part of immersive STEM education; it makes the experience real for the students. They will be able to conceive of a project, be it a product or a prototype, and follow the production process from conception to physical reality. Students will understand the technology that powers their creations; both the hardware and the software.

Frontier Schools’ goal is to raise $1,000,000 for construction and equipping of the Innovation Lab. The school has pledged $200,000 from its own funds for the Lab. Depending on funding the project is slated to begin construction in either late 2019 or early 2020.