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North Vernon students demo LEGO STEM robots as district pushes STEM certification
Summary
Students from North Vernon Elementary demonstrated coded LEGO robots and teachers described a district STEM initiative. The school now has 14 LEGO STEM kits funded through teacher training and PTO support; district leaders said North Vernon is a candidate for STEM certification next year.
North Vernon Elementary students on Monday evening demonstrated LEGO STEM robots and coding projects to the Jennings County School Corporation board, part of a district‑level push to expand hands‑on science, technology, engineering and math instruction.
Leonard Gled, principal at North Vernon Elementary, told the board the school has acquired 14 LEGO STEM kits after two teachers attended a summer training course and, with help from the parent‑teacher organization, purchased the materials for classroom use.
“This past summer, we had two of our teachers that were able to participate in a class over the summer. And part of that class is they were able to get these LEGO STEM boxes… Through help from our PTO, we were able to buy… I think total now, we have 14,” Gled said.
Teachers Valerie Bingham (fourth grade) and Tricia Skinner (fifth grade) described classroom work in which students build robots, write and adapt code, and debug problems across projects tied to math and language arts. “This set is actually geared toward upper kids, and they did amazing,” Bingham said.
Students presented three project examples. Elise Moore and Lucie Stell demonstrated a project they called “Out of Order,” which required the robot to stop at a marker using a sensor motor. Harper Hamrick and Catherine Kelly described a program to make a robot move in a square. Another student, Douglas, explained how a color sensor changed behavior: “If you put green, it goes kind of slow, and if you put red, it stops, and if you put purple it goes really fast.”
Gled told the board district STEM efforts are growing and said North Vernon is a candidate to become STEM‑certified next year if current progress continues.
Why it matters: district leaders framed the LEGO STEM initiative as part of a broader strategy to introduce students to coding and robotics early and to build a pathway that could lead to future STEM careers or instruction roles within the district.
Ending: Teachers and students concluded with a short demonstration and photos; the program will continue to be integrated into additional classrooms next year, the presenters said.
