Fourth‑graders at Sodus Central showcase Sam Labs STEAM projects, win national prize

Jillian Davids, the intermediate school librarian, opened the meeting’s student segment by presenting Sam Labs, a STEAM program that lets students code and build models to demonstrate real‑life scenarios. “We are presenting Sam Labs, which is a… STEAM learning program where kids can code and build, and model real life scenarios,” Davids said.

Davids described recent classroom projects including a spooky house that used timed sound and light effects and Thanksgiving parade floats powered by students’ code. She said fourth‑grade students in Miss Becker’s class created a Santa sleigh that used two devices and a red light as Rudolph’s nose; that team placed second in a nationwide Sam Labs contest and earned a pizza party for the class.

A fourth‑grader who spoke during the demonstration said, “The sleigh was my favorite, and it was an honor to win second place out of the whole country.” Davids said the program is used with grades 4–6 in library and computer instruction, and that Sam Labs will host a New York summit where the district will join other schools. She also said Sam Labs is developing admin features to provide more detailed reports to teachers.

Davids outlined upcoming classroom activities using the kits, including a coded ‘snowball fight,’ a campfire‑story project using lights and sounds, and theme‑park entrance builds. She said she serves as a Sam Labs “Sambassador,” which has given the district early access to new materials and features.

The presentation concluded with a student demonstration for board members and the public. The district did not announce new purchases or program budget changes during the demo; Davids said more information about summit participation and product updates will be shared as it becomes available.