Programs in Motion: Building The STEAMery, One Lab at a Time

Even before construction begins, The STEAMery is already taking shape through creative partnerships, pilot programs, and early initiatives. Each “lab” represents an area of hands-on learning we’ll eventually host inside the Helmsburg building - and many are already in action across the community.

Below you’ll find the labs currently in progress, showing how we’re building The STEAMery from the inside out.

  • TECHNOLOGY LAB

    4-H Spark Bots Coding Club

    Stage:‍ ‍✅ Active
    The Helmsburg Bots Club introduces students to the world of programming and problem-solving through hands-on digital projects. Designed to spark curiosity and confidence in technology, the club helps students learn the basics of coding, logic, and teamwork in a fun, supportive environment. It aligns with The STEAMery’s mission to make technology learning accessible and engaging for all ages in Brown County.

    Partners/Collaborators: Helmsburg Elementary School teachers, Brown County Schools, Purdue University

    Future Vision: Once The STEAMery’s Technology Lab is complete, the Coding Club will expand into a year-round program offering robotics, game design, and coding challenges that connect local students with real-world tech opportunities and mentors.

    GIVE GOAL: Fully Funded! Thank you, donors!

    Helmsburg Elementary Biotech Club

    Stage: ‍✅ Active
    Every 5th grader at Helmsburg Elementary is becoming a scientist. Weekly in-class labs include forensic science, owl pellet dissection, pond water microscopy, and DNA extraction. Students keep lab notebooks, work in small teams, and learn to think like researchers. The program is led by Dr. Erin Baker, Ph.D. (Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology) alongside Helmsburg Elementary science teacher Jodie Silbaugh.

    Partners: Helmsburg Elementary, Dr. Erin Baker, Jodie Silbaugh, Brown County Schools, Purdue University

    Future Vision: Once the BioTech Lab opens, the program expands into a full community science space offering youth research workshops, bio-inspired art projects, and family lab nights that blend biology, chemistry, and creativity.

    GIVE GOAL: $3,500 (board-approved & fully funded).

    Brown County e-Gaming Team

    Stage: ‍✅ Active

    This is not a gaming club. It is a competitive team with structure, strategy, and a path to engineering. Eight girls in grades 5 through 8 compete in EliteGamingLIVE's Rocket League season beginning March 1, 2026, with weekly practices, five regional Game Days, and the EGL Championship in early May. Every player receives a gaming laptop and monitor for the season. The season closes with a behind-the-scenes Kids on Track field trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see real-world data, telemetry, and IoT systems in action.

    Year 2 evolves into a hands-on engineering lab where players design, build, and benchmark their own gaming PCs.

    Partners: Cummins Inc. (Founding Donor), EliteGamingLIVE, Hard Truth Distilling (venue), Coforce and the Baker Family (Kids on Track, IMS access), IU Luddy School, Brown County Schools

    Future Vision: Once the eSports Lab opens, players will train and compete in a dedicated digital media lab equipped for gaming, streaming, coding, and broadcasting. The lab becomes a year-round home for competitive youth teams, co-ed expansion, and career pathways into game design, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and IoT.

    GIVE GOAL: Year 1 fully funded. Donations now build Year 2: the engineering lab where players construct their own PCs and earn hardware credentials.

    Adult AI Classes (CRC Partnership)

    Stage: ✅ Active

    Workforce development programming in partnership with the Career Resource Center. Adult learners build practical AI skills for everyday work: prompt writing, task automation, document drafting, and digital tools. Designed for career changers, small business owners, and adults returning to the workforce.

    Partners: Career Resource Center, Brown County Schools

    Future Vision: When the Technology Lab opens, adult AI training expands into multi-week certifications, operator training tracks, and a regional hub for AI literacy across the Indiana Uplands.

    GIVE GOAL: Open program support. Every dollar expands adult access.

    Donate: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/power-up-the-e-gaming-league-equipment-and-curriculum-fund

  • ART LAB

    Brown County Youth Art League

    Stage: ‍✅ Active
    A weekly team-based art program for grades 6 through 8. Not a traditional art class. The League runs like a creative team: weekly practices, small studio groups, and monthly community gallery nights. Students develop teamwork, entrepreneurial thinking, and creative confidence. The program is free to every Brown County family.

    Partners: Second Story Studio, Brown County Parks and Recreation, IU Center for Rural Engagement, Peaceful Valley Heritage (funder)

    Future Vision: Once the Art Lab opens, the Youth Art League expands into a full community art studio with gallery space, digital design tools, and cross-disciplinary STEAM projects connecting visual art to music, media, and science.

    GIVE GOAL: Fully funded by Peaceful Valley Heritage for 2026. Open program support extends the League into summer sessions and gallery programming.

  • CULINARY LAB

    Brown County Youth Culinary Competition Team

    Stage: 💡 Idea
    The Brown County Youth Culinary Competition Team is an early-stage concept designed to inspire young chefs through friendly, hands-on cooking challenges. The idea is to give local students a chance to learn culinary techniques, teamwork, and creativity while celebrating the region’s food culture and restaurant community. This program will extend The STEAMery’s mission by turning the kitchen into a classroom where learning happens through taste, skill, and collaboration.

    Partners/Collaborators: Local restaurant owners, chefs, and hospitality partners (to be identified).

    Future Vision: Once The STEAMery’s Culinary Lab is open, the competition team could train in a professional-grade teaching kitchen and host annual events that draw families, visitors, and future culinary leaders from across Indiana.

  • Community Greenhouse Lab

    Stage: ⚙️ In Development

    The Community Greenhouse Lab is The STEAMery's first permanent lab. Built in partnership with Jason and Rachel Kidwell, the lab uses deep water culture hydroponic systems to produce 4,000 to 6,000 heads of lettuce per year across four growing cycles. The design is fully wheelchair-accessible, one of the first of its kind in the region. Students learn hands-on agricultural science. Community members can join the membership garden. Produce is sold to Brown County Inn under contract. Surplus is donated to St. Vincent de Paul and Mother's Cupboard food pantries.

    Partners: Lewis Organics (Jason and Rachel Kidwell), The Beamery, Helmsburg Elementary, Brown County Schools, Brown County 4-H and Purdue Extension, FFA, Career Resource Center

    Future Vision: The Grow Lab becomes the permanent home for agricultural science, controlled-environment growing, and farm-to-table programming. It pairs with the future Culinary Lab to connect growing, cooking, and food business under one roof.

    GIVE GOAL: Full build at $51,000 launches the first operating season. goes here