If you’ve ever taken a walk through the Foreign Language hallway at Princeton Day School, chances are you’ve heard laughter and bright voices carry through the large glass window of the STEAM Lab. This is the laughter of students in their freshman Steaminar period, a class they are required to take once a cycle with the students in their bBiology class. The Steaminar curriculum explores different engineering and design- based activities with the goal of teaching students to develop problem- solving mindsets and introducing them to unique skills. Overall, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the STEAM space and learn how it can be utilized. While Steaminar has been a long-running, successful program, students have nevertheless questioned whether their time would be better spent elsewhere, and whether this once-a-cycle class is a necessary part of their freshman year curriculum.

Junior Aryan Kunwar, Cohead of the Robotics Club, shared his memorable Steaminar projects, including using soldering irons to create wired animals and writing code to control lights using a tool called an Arduino board: “When I think about Steaminar, I remember the hands-on projects that combined creativity with technology…Steaminar helped me understand how engineering and programming can work together to turn ideas into real projects.” Kunwar reflected on the impact the class had on his interest in engineering, explaining that it allowed him to explore the field early on, building the confidence to pursue it further.

The STEAM Lab is also a place to form new connections with peers, encouraging teamwork and collaboration. Freshman Kayla Peckens reminisced about a recent project she completed with her Steaminar group. The challenge was to create a “Mars Biome” using only limited amounts of plastic tarp, duct tape, and a fan. She found the project exciting, and she valued working with a team to complete a difficult task. She further noted what she felt makes Steaminar a unique program, explaining, “It opens us up to new types of science and is just a shorter and more fun class to bond with peers.”
Both students agreed that because of the Steaminar class, they were exposed to new technical skills and collaborative approaches to problem-solving. According to Kunwar, they are introduced to “real-world applications of engineering and coding” much earlier than they would otherwise experience.

So, to answer the question “Should Steaminar be a class?,”, it is also important to address the other side of students’ argument. Without the Steaminar period, freshmen claim they would have more time to meet with teachers, study, and work in their respective art studios; however, it is clear that every minute spent in the STEAM Lab offers valuable information and opportunities.