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San Diego Unified Opens New STEAM Lab to Serve Students
SAN DIEGO (April 9, 2025) - Just in time for National Robotics Week, a highly anticipated San Diego Unified School District Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) lab is officially open and running in Scripps Ranch.
To celebrate the grand opening on Wednesday, Dingeman Elementary and Millennial Tech Middle (MTM) School students demonstrated indoor drones, 3D printing, and gardening while Interim Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula, Board of Education Trustee Sabrina Bazzo, district leaders, and community members were present.
The Scripps Mesa STEAM lab and garden serve TK through 12th-grade students in the Scripps Ranch cluster schools, including Scripps Ranch High, Marshall Middle, Dingeman Elementary, EB Scripps Elementary, Jerabek Elementary, and Miramar Ranch Elementary schools. It is located within the district-supported LIVIA Scripps Ranch apartment complex at the corner of Scripps Poway Parkway and Spring Canyon Road, which provides affordable housing to district educators.
The Scripps Mesa STEAM lab’s goal is to support science education in the district. It has three educational lab spaces: a large central room that can be divided into two separate learning areas with glass panels, a second, smaller enclosed classroom area, and a flex area/workroom that will house STEAM lab equipment, including laser cutters, 3D printers, and other technology. The STEAM and garden science programs will include a student-designed and built garden.
The lab offers various programs, including week-long culminating project experiences that can be integrated into the TK-5 STEAM science curriculum and single-day coding and robotics experiences through its future Qualcomm® Thinkabit Lab™ collaboration. Aerial drones will allow students to compete in national and international competitions where students show off their coding skills. In addition, the STEAM lab will host a garden science program focused on botany and food science. The lab will eventually partner with Qualcomm, MTM Earth Lab, & other schools across the district.
“This STEAM lab is another example of our commitment to delivering new and innovative ways to educate our students,” said Dr. Fabi Bagula, San Diego Unified School District Superintendent (Interim). “Robotics and STEAM classes provide real-world applications that prepare students for careers in quickly growing industries. This lab will allow students in Scripps Ranch and throughout the district to learn invaluable skills that will benefit our community.”
The STEAM lab also includes a second garden for community use, which is operated by the Scripps Ranch Civic Association’s Sustainable Scripps Ranch Committee.
“This project is a win-win for the Scripps Ranch community and our students interested in diving into STEAM learning,” said Sabrina Bazzo, Board of Education Trustee for San Diego Unified. “Our communities thrive when we invest in spaces that bring us together, encourage collaboration and learning, and promote healthy, sustainable living.”
The celebration took place during National Robotics Week, a week-long series of events and activities aimed at increasing public awareness of the growing potential of robotics. With a mission of inspiring students in robotics and STEM-related fields, Robotics Week’s goal is to share excitement with audiences of all ages.
"As a former science teacher from Marshall Middle School, I am excited to bring new technology such as student-coded indoor aerial drones to the Scripps Ranch Cluster,” said Sam Doerner, Resource Teacher for Scripps Mesa STEAM Lab. “As an educator, it is inspiring to see students collaborate to teach each other new skills, as we see today with our MTM students working with fifth graders from Dingeman. I look forward to helping students develop new science, technology, engineering, art, and math skills that will help them in their future endeavors."
Monarch Group fully funded the construction of the Scripps Mesa STEAM lab.
To read other recent bond program stories, please visit: https://www.sandiegounified.org/about/newscenter/school_bond_program.
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