STEAM Club at Lake Forest Elementary
Thanks to Sandy Springs Education Force and sponsors of the Annual SSEF STEAM Showcase, 23 students in 3rd- through 5th-grade at Lake Forest Elementary School are participating in an innovative initiative that cultivates curiosity and hands-on learning. Led by the school’s Talented and Gifted (TAG) teacher, Jill Fears, students engage in multiple activities and projects. The program aims to cultivate STEAM skills and instill a passion for exploration.
During the 2025-2026 school year, the club is using its 3D printers to create meaningful projects for students and the Sandy Springs community. This promotes creativity and problem-solving. Students also have the opportunity to build, code and fly drones, enhancing their understanding of aerodynamics, programming, technology and photography. They also conduct experiments and have even built a volcano that exploded. Students recently took a field trip to the Springs Cinema to learn about the technology and engineering that is behind the scenes in a movie theater. In addition, they loved using the Graphite Pencil Circuit activity donated by Cox Enterprises. Ms. Fears commented that students absolutely loved channeling their excitement and curiosity to create working circuits.
On the day we visited, club members were building carousels using Lego Education kits to program and run mechanical parts and motors. Students explained how they use the tablet to access instructions to teach them how to program the carousel to make it move. Third grader Uriel commented that he enjoys how the project gets “his mind working” and said, “my creativity gets better when we work as a team.”
Fifth grader Aaliyah remarked that she enjoys being able to do experiments and that working with the club “builds character.” Isabella (5th grade) commented that working with the club has helped her to enjoy science more.
Club leader and teacher Ms. Fears appreciates the opportunity to receive support for STEAM resources. She explained, “At a Title I school, it’s especially important to help students build confidence, enhance their social and emotional skills and connect them to work with community partners and mentors.” She noted that they’ve worked with the Atlanta Science Festival and welcomed visiting scientists from Georgia Tech who visited their club to inspire members.
Renee and Maurice Hoelting are a retired couple who volunteer each week. Maurice is impressed by how smart the students are and how well they solve problems. Renee loves to work with the children because the kids are “excited, joyful and interested.”
Don’t miss this year’s 16h Annual Sandy Springs Education Force STEAM Showcase on Tuesday, March 17th, 6-8 pm at North Springs High School. Attendees can explore student-led projects from Lake Forest and the other nine grant-supported programs and interact with humanoid robots, test flight simulators and experience AI training simulations.
First published on sandyspringseducationforce.org
