Furthering a Love of STEAM and the Engineering Design Process
Grant Information:
Project Manager: Angela Murdough
School: Muraco
Type of Grant: Education
Target Grade: K-5
Curriculum: STEAM
Start Date: Spring 2026
Grant proposal
Summary:
Each year, three of the elementary schools run a science fair, and this spring, Winchester High School will host one as well, offering younger students and their families an opportunity to experience science from
a different venue as the high school students share their project findings.
All five elementary schools need to provide equitable resources. We would use this grant to extend each elementary library’s STEM resources, which in turn would help promote curiosity and problem solving through invention, building, engineering, and technology.
More current resources will encourage our students as they find ways to use their core knowledge and investigate how to take it further. These added resources, which will include the engineering design process, will showcase science and technology advances, giving students the current information they need and in ways they may not have expected.
We are excited about this grant because these resources will help encourage students to think about science – even if they don’t consider themselves scientists! There are connections to art, music, athletics, and everyday living that can be made, and these books would help show what’s possible.
GRANT DETAILS
Educational Issue:
These additions to our elementary libraries will further students’ explorations of science and validate
many of the Massachusetts STE (science, technology, engineering) Anchor Standards, such as:
Focus on conceptual understanding and application of concepts.
Integrate disciplinary core ideas and practices to reflect the discipline of science.
Inquiry- and design-based learning involves regular engagement with practices to build, use, and apply
knowledge
Across grade levels and throughout the curriculum, “Integration of disciplinary core ideas and practices
reflects the interconnected nature of science and engineering. The standards integrate disciplinary core
ideas with scientific and engineering practices. The integration of disciplinary core ideas and practices
reflects how science and engineering are applied and practiced every day. It is shown to enhance student
learning of both and results in rigorous learning expectations aligned with similar expectations in mathematics and ELA standards.”
We believe providing current resources that are educational, informative, and elementary-accessible, allows students to investigate STEAM concepts and encourages more investigation beyond the classroom. With this happening outside school, it is easy to see how this would benefit the Winchester
Public Schools’ Science Curriculum, as students stay more engaged and involved.
Goals & Outcomes:
Students will borrow the new library materials consistently (measured by circulation statistics).
Students will use materials to advance the science projects they produce outside of school (for a
science fair or end-of-the-year library questionnaire, students will be asked where they attained their background materials).
Students will use relevant library materials as additional resources to extend the curriculum – for
example, there could be a display of “sound” books for 1st or 4th grades available for check out, not as curriculum materials but as additional resources to explore further.
Although difficult to measure, having these resources for their investigations would allow students an opportunity to go deeper, gain confidence in their work, and experience the value of perseverance (social emotional learning).
Activities:
Collaborate as a District Elementary Library team to procure STEAM-related books to update our library collections with a specific goal in mind: To support students’ science explorations beyond the
curriculum and encourage students to explore hands-on scientific experiments and participate in science-related events such as Science/STEAM fairs.
We will collaborate with classroom teachers to see where their students’ interests are piqued in the world of science. We will work with Lia Steljes to get additional suggestions and ideas.
Librarians will preview the books with library classes and/or in parent newsletters. These materials and the understanding of the scientific process coincide and expand many of the science lessons already being taught.
Books will be displayed and promoted at various times throughout the year to encourage participation in various events or to highlight a special event such as Massachusetts STEM week or the WHS Science Fair, which is open to all families.
——-
Spring or into Fall 2026 (or sooner): Books selected, purchased, added to library collections.
Fall/Winter/Spring 2026-2027: Books are showcased/displayed/available to check out as helpful tools
to prepare for Massachusetts STEM week in the fall, the science fairs in the spring, and to encourage and spark engagement in STEM disciplines. Science Fair coordinators will be encouraged to suggest library resources to participating students.
Ongoing: Books are offered to teachers and students to make curriculum connections, offer insight and opportunities to expand beyond what is taught, and encourage inquiry and collaboration through at-home
experimentation.
Innovation & Collaboration:
This grant reflects a collaborative approach and brings together library media specialists for the
selection, families, parent-teacher groups, classroom teachers, and the science coordinator. The materials will be available to all K-5 students to take home, and their families will be able to work on projects together with them. Adding books such as these to our collections also shows support to parent groups who are working hard to provide our students with enrichment activities such as science fairs.
Budget:
$2,500
