Poquoson students demonstrate K–2 STEAM projects; board notes Title IV grant purchased Lego kits

Poquoson City School Board members on May 19 heard a demonstration from K–2 students who showcased STEAM projects funded in part by grants and community partners.

An instructional presenter told the board the division’s “Learning Under the Lights” STEM event drew about 400 people and credited community partners and the Poquoson Education Foundation for supporting classroom resources. Teacher Amanda Vulman introduced kindergarten and early‑grade students who demonstrated motorized Lego projects, bridge‑building challenges and simple coding activities to illustrate iterative problem solving.

Student presenters explained their designs during the demonstration. “We turned it around so it would go to the bath,” said Ailia, describing a modification her group made to a motorized model to change its direction. Other students described adding weight or stops to control movement and talked through multiple iterations before arriving at a working design.

Board members praised the hands‑on learning. A presenter noted that the Lego kits were purchased with Title IV federal grant funds, a clarification aimed at showing how federal and local resources were combined to launch the new STEAM offering. The board thanked volunteers, PTO groups and local businesses that helped run the evening’s activities.

The district said the STEAM classroom will continue as part of weekly Encore offerings for young learners and staff signaled plans to review and expand resources for next year.