Imaginations ran wild at Laredo ISD as sparks of curiosity lit up classrooms during the district’s highly anticipated Summer STEAM Academy! With Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math leading the charge, hundreds of elementary students dove into hands-on projects that transformed ideas into innovation.
The Academy invited students to become inventors, engineers, and designers of the future. This year’s theme, “From Imagination to Innovation: An Inventor’s Journey,” encouraged students to explore topics ranging from robotics and 3D printing to drone programming, Makey Makey activities, and creative circuitry.
“Our goal was to ignite curiosity and equip students with the tools to dream big,” said Brenda Sepulveda, LISD Director of Instructional Technology. “STEAM is not just about gadgets and code, it is about solving real-world problems creatively. We want our students to see themselves as inventors of tomorrow.”
In each classroom, students collaborated in small teams to build prototypes, conduct experiments, and present their findings. For many, it was their first opportunity to explore famous inventors and understand how those inventions have impacted the world.
“The best part of STEAM Academy was being able to create a product that would help save lives in a fire with my robot,” Tarver Elementary School fifth-grade student Scarlet Murillo said. “Now I want to be an engineer and program robots to make a difference in our community.”
District educators worked side-by-side with students, integrating critical thinking, problem-solving, and design thinking into each project. “Preparing students for the future means more than preparing them for tests,” Ligarde Elementary School STEAM teacher Raul Ramirez said. “It means giving them the chance to experiment, fail forward, and come up with innovative ideas that could someday change the world.”
The highlight of the program was the Student Innovation Showcase, where families were invited to celebrate and support the work of their young inventors. Students proudly presented their creations to parents, educators, and community members, sharing their inventions such as robots designed to save people from fires, trash-collecting robots to clean up our Earth, and energy-efficient solutions aimed at building a better tomorrow.
“The creativity we saw was beyond impressive,” said Terry Guerrero, LISD Elementary IT Coordinator. “Our students didn’t just complete assignments, they tackled real-world problems and dreamed up solutions that could one day change lives.” The inspiration behind this year’s theme came from the rapid evolution of technology in education and the importance of preparing students for careers that don’t yet exist. “We live in a time when the next big invention could come from anyone, anywhere, including our classrooms,” Guerrero added. “Our students aren’t just learning about the future; they are helping to build it.”
Laredo ISD’s commitment to STEAM education continues year-round through its districtwide initiatives, including the integration of technology applications, eSports, and partnerships with local community organizations. As the Summer STEAM Academy came to a close, one thing was clear: the future is bright, bold, and powered by students who are ready to LEVEL UP their learning, right here at LISD!