Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
At Community meeting on December 8, Kevin Van Dam, a member of the Derryfield “STEAM Team,” pitched the merits and accessibility of courses within the discipline. Van Dam is known for introducing students to the 3-D printer, where they learn to create everything from race cars to rockets, which are then employed for science experiments. In his presentation Van Dam aimed to entice even the most reluctant students to dip their toe into the STEAM bath.
“Success in STEAM is achievable regardless of your abilities in math and science. As the great scientist, Rick Sanchez, once said, ‘Sometimes science is more art than science. A lot of people don’t get that.’ Well, my goal for today is to ensure that all of you do “get that,” and feel empowered to take one or more of my STEAM classes in the coming years.
My classes welcome all upper school grade levels, encouraging collaboration and critical thinking among all students. In the STEAM lab, 9th-12th graders work together to navigate challenging real-world problems through a design-focused approach, bringing their unique perspectives and creativity to the table. All the while not worrying about the complex engineering calculations or scientific principles. Just design and results.
The phrase ‘it’s not rocket science’ proves meaningless as we launch our brave 3D printed astronauts into the troposphere. We approach a brave new world of theoretical energy production without writing a single equation. We design and develop model homes to our own standards, and we create usable prototypes to solve our own unique problems.
Every single person sitting in front of me right now is capable of success in my classes, because even failure in my classes is a version of success. With every failure comes a new lesson and every lesson is another stepping stone to a proper solution. The only failure is to not try at all.”
Van Dam concluded his pitch with a video that highlighted all the fun the student had, STEAMing through the fall term. The classes showcased in the video are: “Engineering Design Process” and “Engineering Alternative Energy.”
Click HERE to see the Derryfield Upper School STEAM course offerings for academic year 25-26.
