North Harrison Middle School showcases drones, VR and Science Olympiad as part of push for STEM certification
April 09, 2026 | North Harrison Com School Corp, School Boards, Indiana
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
North Harrison Middle School Principal Ms. Ella told the school board on April 9 that the middle school is expanding hands-on STEM learning after receiving a Project Lead The Way grant and will seek state STEM certification for the building.
She said the school purchased 10 small drones so students can assemble and program them as part of new career-exploration coursework and described plans to teach coding, drone assembly and FAA pilot-test preparation as a possible career pathway. "We received a grant where we were able to purchase 10 drones," Ms. Ella said. She also described the district's new sixth-grade career exploration rotation and eighth-grade PCC classes that let students sample different pathways.
Ms. Ella described a recent teacher professional-development session using ClassVR headsets. "These things are completely amazing," she said, describing virtual lessons that placed trainees in a World War I trench and inside a human body. She said the school has eight headsets for small-group lessons and that teachers were enthusiastic about classroom applications and student engagement.
Students then demonstrated projects. Sixth graders Rosie and Milo presented a Rube Goldberg machine to illustrate energy transfer and transformation; Rosie explained the device's sequence of reactions during the live demonstration. Middle school Science Olympiad members including Cora White, Zach and Ashley Hughes described the club's structure, credited coaches Ms. Wade and Mr. Blevins and summarized recent competition results: the team has won regionals and earned top-10 state finishes in several events, with a seventh-place showing in experimental design. "Science Olympiad is going to ensure that our middle schoolers are prepared to follow STEM pathways in high school," Cora White said.
Board members praised the students and teachers after the presentations. Several members noted that North Harrison High School received STEM certification last year and said they hope the middle school effort will lead to districtwide adoption of hands-on STEM programs.
The meeting continued with routine business and unanimous approval of agenda items, personnel actions and donations. The board will hear a presentation on district finances from consultant Stifel at its May meeting.
She said the school purchased 10 small drones so students can assemble and program them as part of new career-exploration coursework and described plans to teach coding, drone assembly and FAA pilot-test preparation as a possible career pathway. "We received a grant where we were able to purchase 10 drones," Ms. Ella said. She also described the district's new sixth-grade career exploration rotation and eighth-grade PCC classes that let students sample different pathways.
Ms. Ella described a recent teacher professional-development session using ClassVR headsets. "These things are completely amazing," she said, describing virtual lessons that placed trainees in a World War I trench and inside a human body. She said the school has eight headsets for small-group lessons and that teachers were enthusiastic about classroom applications and student engagement.
Students then demonstrated projects. Sixth graders Rosie and Milo presented a Rube Goldberg machine to illustrate energy transfer and transformation; Rosie explained the device's sequence of reactions during the live demonstration. Middle school Science Olympiad members including Cora White, Zach and Ashley Hughes described the club's structure, credited coaches Ms. Wade and Mr. Blevins and summarized recent competition results: the team has won regionals and earned top-10 state finishes in several events, with a seventh-place showing in experimental design. "Science Olympiad is going to ensure that our middle schoolers are prepared to follow STEM pathways in high school," Cora White said.
Board members praised the students and teachers after the presentations. Several members noted that North Harrison High School received STEM certification last year and said they hope the middle school effort will lead to districtwide adoption of hands-on STEM programs.
The meeting continued with routine business and unanimous approval of agenda items, personnel actions and donations. The board will hear a presentation on district finances from consultant Stifel at its May meeting.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
