Everyone in the STEAM Lab at Meade County’s College & Career Center a few weeks ago saw the world of science and math come alive with interactive chemical reactions that brought bright smiles to the faces of every student in the room. It was Monument’s very first full classroom immersion with the Meade County students — and an exciting step in an enhanced partnership with the local school system. 

“Our roots in this community mean a lot to us, and we’re constantly seeking new opportunities to enhance our impact on education for all local students,” Tonya Jeffries, HR Manager at Monument Brandenburg, explained.

 “We’ve always valued our partnership with the school system, but also saw the immense value in getting into the classrooms and engaging with the students in a more specialized and interactive way. So I met with Dr. Mark Martin, Superintendent and Nicholas Sutherland, Principal of Meade County College & Career Center, and eventually with Kala Robinson, Gifted and Talented Teacher, to learn more about the STEAM lab and get something on the calendar for this year.” 

“With such a wide range of talented students from elementary to high schoolers, we brainstormed some activities we thought would be equally engaging gifted students all across the board, whether math, science, art, etc.,” Allie shared. “With the help of our engineers, we came up with an Iodine clock experiment and a self-inflating balloon reaction. We also had a simulated fire extinguisher activity to demonstrate important safety aspects of our work.”

One of the most valuable teachings of the day was giving real life applications to the type of lessons the students learn in the classroom on a daily basis. “The Monument team not only explained each of their careers and the education that got them there, but also really showed the students what life is like working in a real lab,” Kala shared. “The activities focused heavily on their actual specialty in chemical reactions — discussing formulas, the chemicals involved, and how they react with one another throughout the process. It wasn’t just another lesson; it was a look into a potential career. They also made sure the students were aware of the correct terminology and followed the scientific method properly, so they could apply it in other areas of their education, which really hit home with so many of them.”

It’s safe to say this event was the first of many more successful educational collaborations aimed at getting students in the community excited about engineering and science.

“The group was phenomenal, asking great questions and impressing us with how much they already knew,” Tonya explained. “We received such great feedback from the Superintendent and teachers, and it was equally as fun for us to see the excitement on the kids’ faces as they learn this is something they can actually do as a career in their own community. This has inspired new avenues in how we support STEAM education within our schools, and the future looks very bright — in more ways than one!”