NORFOLK, Neb. -- Encouraging a culture of innovation and hands-on learning through technology across the district, Norfolk Public Schools is set to expand their Maker space program for all elementary schools.

“What Makerspace is, is an area or a place for our kids just to dive in and use their creativity to solve problems, work with each other, and just use those critical thinking skills in a completely different mindset," said Jamie London, Jefferson Elementary Principal. "So when our plans don't work the way we want them to, they will recreate and come up with a separate plan.”

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math known as STEAM can seem boring to some, but the school has incorporated them all with new enhanced classes and making learning more enjoyable for students to participate. 

“We start with simple materials first," London said. "So it's very much Legos and magnets, tiles, kinetics, anything that they can build with their hands. We have coding as well, but we take that into the higher levels. So we might do some simple coding with our little guys, but then it progresses as we move up.”

The project estimated to cost over $400,000 was made possible by many generous community donors.

Norfolk Public Schools Foundations Executive Director, Austin Truex said, “This is a significant investment into the STEAM curriculum and the materials that are available to our students at each elementary school in Norfolk, and that comes from the Norfolk Public Schools Foundations and also some community partners from the Norfolk area family of funds. That includes The Rudolf Elis Fund, Daycos4good Community Fund, The Connie Fund and the Norfolk Area Community Foundation Fund."