Elementary students are naturally curious. It’s a way children learn about life and the many things it holds for them in the years ahead.
A new facility at Southwest Christian School’s Chisholm Trail Campus, the Martin Science Exploration Center, will allow students in grades pre-kindergarten through sixth to use their natural curiosity to be problem solvers, critical thinkers and innovators as they prepare for a world filled with science and technology.
The center, which is named after a student’s grandparent, is a fully equipped lab and collaborative space that will support the school’s science curriculum. It will allow hands-on learning through a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) opportunities, including robotics, coding, engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics and life science.
The facility, with intricately designed flooring featuring atom and double helix models, offers students access to 3D printers and hydroponic towers.
“We are incredibly grateful to have this resource for our students,” said President and Head of School Brian Johnson. “It’s truly a game changer for us as we strive to provide a learning environment that inspires students to apply their God-given talents and interests to an engaging and rigorous study of the world around them.”
Melissa Eldridge and David Gibson are science enrichment teachers at the school. They said science and technology are top priorities there.
“Mr. Gibson and I are so excited about this amazing space,” Eldridge said. “For years, we have had a strong science program at SCS, but with the Exploration Center, we will be able to challenge our students even more.”
School officials expressed gratitude to the Sable and Martin families for their support, as well as the many donors who championed the center through an auction and Excellence Fund gifts.
“Our students and families are thrilled with the new Exploration Center,” Eldridge said. “The new center allows us more opportunity to bring science to life for our students as they engage in real-world scientific exploration and applications.”
Established in 1969, Southwest Christian is a college preparatory school in Fort Worth. It has more than 800 students, with pre-kindergarten through sixth grades attending the Chisholm Trail Campus and grades 7-12 attending the Lakeside Campus.