The STEAMery October Update

Dear friends,

This has been a big year at The STEAMery so far. Since January, fifth graders have solved forensic cases in BioTech labs, girls in grades 5 to 8 have trained and competed on an esports team built for them, and neighbors have learned the basics in free AI classes. Eight local business owners are wrapping up ten weeks of putting AI to work in their own companies, and students and volunteers have grown fresh lettuce for a Brown County restaurant.

Here is where things stand, what is coming next, and where we need your help right now.

News: state support for our long-term plan

The STEAMery received a READI 2.0 capacity-building grant from the State of Indiana. It does not fund a program directly. It pays for an outside expert to help us build a long-term business and revenue plan, so these programs can keep running and growing for years to come.

By the numbers

Here is what your support has added up to so far: about 150 students, kids and adults, across more than 20 class sessions plus labs, practices, and tours.

• 8 small business owners finishing Project Fish: 27 hours of hands-on AI instruction across 9 sessions
• 15 adults in 2 free AI classes at the Career Resource Center
• About 50 fifth graders ran hands-on BioTech labs at Helmsburg Elementary last school year
• 6 girls in grades 5 to 8 trained and competed on our esports team
• 60 Brown County High School agriculture students toured the Greenhouse Lab
• 10 young artists spent 10 weeks in our Youth Art League
• 20 Cummins volunteers and 10 community volunteers helped clean up the future building space
• 30 Cook Medical volunteers and 10 community volunteers helped clean up and build out the greenhouse
• 139 heads of fresh lettuce delivered to Brown County Inn by mid-October
• 3 Indiana University student teams working on STEAMery projects this fall

From bare ground to restaurant table

In July, 30 Cook Medical volunteers and 10 community volunteers spent a single day clearing, leveling, and building out our partner greenhouse. By September, the first hydroponic lettuce was headed to Brown County Inn.

• 139 heads delivered through October 15, with weekly deliveries continuing
• 4 varieties: bronze mignonette, Parris Island romaine, buttercrunch, and red sails
• November 2: final harvest of the 2026 season

Brown County High School agriculture students toured the lab and saw a working deep water culture system up close. Every delivery is recorded on a harvest log initialed at the Inn, so the lab already runs like the small business it is meant to teach.

The Greenhouse Lab was made possible by the Brown County Community Foundation, several individual donors, The Beamery property, and our grower partners Jason and Rachel Kidwell.

Our biggest need: a Greenhouse Committee Leader

The first season proved the model. Whether there is a second one depends on people. We are looking for a Greenhouse Committee lead and 4 to 6 committee members to carry the momentum into 2027.

The committee meets for the first time Sunday, October 18, at 6 pm, online. Email contact@thesteamery.org for the link. Can't make it? Get in touch anyway and we will add you to the next one.

This winter the committee will decide whether to run a spring 2027 season, which grants and fundraisers to pursue, and how to bring more students into planting, harvesting, and selling.

What it takes: about 2 to 4 hours a month, one planning meeting a month, in person or online. No growing experience required. Our current greenhouse volunteers will be right there with you.

The lead role coordinates the committee, keeps the calendar, and is the main contact for our grower partners and Brown County Inn. If you have run a garden, a business, a club, or a project timeline, you have the skills.

Join the Greenhouse Committee

Would you come to a harvest dinner?

We are exploring a harvest dinner at Brown County Inn featuring lettuce from one of our final 2026 harvests, with proceeds going toward a second greenhouse season. Before we plan it, we want to know who would come. If a farm-to-table evening sounds like your kind of night, let us know.

Project Fish: eight local businesses, ten weeks, real results

This fall, eight Brown County business owners have spent ten weeks at the Career Resource Center learning to put AI to work in their own businesses. Instructor Kara Hammes built each session around their real work: bookings, websites, marketing, and guest communication.

Cohort 1 wraps up Wednesday, October 21, with a show-and-tell of what each participant built. Project Fish is made possible by Ashley's Dream Foundation and David and Gail Easterbrook.

In their words

“When I told my staff I was taking this AI class, they all rolled their eyes. I just cannot believe what I have created in this class and how it has changed the way we're doing things at the store.”

Tarin Paradise, Naughty Dog Books

“The class has been outstanding, and I would say life changing. I can't stop talking to people about the value of this class.”

Leah Lamm, vacation rental owner

“It has created peace of mind and a real look at where I can and cannot see growth within my business.”

Courtney Gosser, Brown County Inn

“It is incredibly useful. It's helping me redesign the website for our store.”

Amy Greely, New Leaf

Cohort 2 is coming. Cohort 1 was capped at eight participants so everyone got hands-on time, and Cohort 2 will be small too. Join the waitlist to hear first when dates are set.

Also happening across the county

• BioTech labs at Helmsburg Elementary. Fifth graders work forensic case studies with hands-on lab kits, taught by Jodie Silbaugh.
• All-girls esports. We are working on our second season for girls in grades 5 to 8 to train and compete together at Hard Truth through EliteGamingLIVE, supported by Cummins and Cook Medical. Email us if you'd like to coach!
• Free adult AI classes at the Career Resource Center, open to anyone who wants to get comfortable with the tools.
• Coding Club at Helmsburg Elementary with Purdue Extension, where The STEAMery started.
• IU student teams. Three Indiana University teams are working with us this semester on greenhouse curriculum, social media, and Project Fish.

In the works for 2027

• BioTech labs for Van Buren and Sprunica elementaries
• Project Fish Cohort 2 for the next group of Brown County business owners
• A spring greenhouse season, if the committee comes together with a leader
• Woodworking classes with a local woodworker, open to residents and visitors
• A class calendar to browse and book STEAMery classes in one place
• Creative arts and music production programs, in early planning with local partners

Four ways to help right now

1. Join the Greenhouse Committee or lead it. This is the group that decides whether there is a spring season.
2. Tell a business owner about Project Fish and send them to the Cohort 2 waitlist.
3. Give. Gifts this fall go toward the greenhouse pilot extension and the next round of student programs.
4. Give stock. The STEAMery now accepts gifts of stock. Donating appreciated shares can be a tax-smart way to give, so check with your advisor. Email us for transfer instructions.

Donate to The STEAMery

Thank you

This year was made possible by the Brown County Community Foundation, Ashley's Dream Foundation, Cummins and Cook Medical and their volunteers, Peaceful Valley Heritage, Brown County Inn, our partner schools and teachers, the Career Resource Center, Hard Truth, Purdue Extension, Indiana University, and every donor and volunteer reading this.

We started with a coding club and a simple question: why should Brown County kids and adults have less hands-on STEAM than people in the city? This year the answer showed up in classrooms, a greenhouse, an esports room, and small businesses across the county. Thank you for being part of it.

With gratitude,
Kirstie Tiernan
Founder and Executive Director, The STEAMery

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STEAMery Update - Fall 2026

Fall in Brown County means leaf season, full weekends and more than two million visitors winding through our hills. It is also our busiest season yet. Our first crop is on its way to a local kitchen, three teams of Indiana University students are joining our work, and a calendar of hands-on classes is taking shape. Here is what has happened since spring.

First Harvest at the Greenhouse Lab

Our Greenhouse Lab brought in its first hydroponic lettuce harvest on September 28. The lettuce is grown in partnership with Lewis Organics (Jason and Rachel Kidwell) and goes straight to the kitchen at the Brown County Inn. We plan weekly Monday harvests through the season.

The greenhouse is also a classroom. Brown County High School's new agriculture program, led by teacher Austin Wampler, is bringing student groups on site to learn hydroponic growing, food safety, and how a local farm-to-restaurant supply chain works. Volunteers keep the operation running every week, and our Greenhouse Committee keeps growing.

Indiana University Students Join The STEAMery

The STEAMery was selected for IU Corps START this fall, and all three projects we proposed received a student team:

• Greenhouse Lab: developing curriculum and class formats so more students and visitors can learn in the greenhouse.

• Project Fish: supporting our adult workforce program as it grows.

• Social Media: building a content system to share The STEAMery's story with more of Brown County and its visitors.

Project Fish Cohort 1 in Session

Project Fish, our workforce program for adults, has its first cohort in session. A waitlist is already forming for the next one.

Coming Soon: Classes You Can Book

The model behind The STEAMery is simple: visitors book hands-on classes, and their fees open free seats for Brown County families. This fall we will be testing that model with new bookable classes, led by locals. Visitors pay for their seat, and every class holds free seats for Brown County residents. Dates and registration are coming soon.

Capacity Building Support Through READI 2.0

The STEAMery received a capacity building award through the READI 2.0 Arts and Culture program. Our board will decide in October how to use it, with a focus on strengthening the operating and revenue model that keeps our programs sustainable for the long term.

Thank You

Thank you to the Cook Medical volunteers who spent a July day with us working through nine projects, to Jason and Rachel Kidwell, Courtney Gosser, The Brown County Inn, Brown County Schools, and to IU Corps START. Thank you also to every donor and volunteer who makes this work possible. Every program on this page runs because of you.

How to Help

• Donate at thesteamery.org

• Volunteer at the Greenhouse Lab

• Teach or host a class through our Host Classes page

A place to dream // a space to create.

STEAMery Update - April 2026

Spring is a full season here. Our program slate is running across five active initiatives, three new projects are moving into development, and a growing circle of partners, donors, and volunteers is making it possible. Here is what is happening.

Programs in Session

All-Girls Esports Team

Our team for girls in grades 5 through 8 is competing in Rocket League through the EliteGamingLIVE league, with Monday practices at Hard Truth Hills. The season is fully funded at no cost to families thanks to Cummins, Mike and Jaydene Laros, and Steve and Debbie Hackman.

BioTech Club

Fifth graders are working through forensic science labs, owl pellet dissection, pond water microscopy, and DNA extraction with local UCLA scientist Dr. Erin Baker.

Coding Club

Monthly coding sessions continue for K through 5 students. Thank you to Chelsea Busby at Purdue Extension for running these classes.

Youth Art League

Our students are not just making art. They are learning how to sell it. League members are in the middle of a competition where they create original work, price it, tell the story behind it, and put it in front of real buyers. They are learning what it takes to turn creative talent into income: production, presentation, pricing, and the confidence to put your work out in the world.

Funded by Peaceful Valley Heritage and run by Kurt Eagleman at Second Story Studio.

AI Training for Adults

We are offering free AI training for adults through the Career Resource Center. The workshops give working professionals and career changers hands-on experience with the AI tools reshaping how people work, create, and earn a living.

In Development

Community Greenhouse Lab

A wheelchair-accessible hydroponic growing lab in Helmsburg. The greenhouse will use deep water culture systems to grow lettuce and herbs year-round, connecting students with hands-on agriculture science while producing food for local restaurants and food pantries. We are currently waiting on funding confirmation to move forward on this lab.

Programming will include:

• K-12 school field visits

• 4-H and FFA integration

• Community garden memberships

• Workshops

Project Fish

We are excited to announce Project Fish, a new 10-week workforce development program that teaches adults in Brown County how to build recurring income using AI. It is built for people who need flexible, autonomous income paths, and it requires no prior technology experience.

Thanks to a generous donation from Ashley’s Dream Foundation, Project Fish is fully funded and moving into development.

Thank You

None of this happens without the partners, donors, volunteers, and families who keep showing up for our students and our community. If you want to support what is coming next, visit thesteamery.org.

STEAMery Update - 2026

The STEAMery continues to move forward with both near-term programming and long-term planning as we work toward creating a permanent hands-on STEAM education and workforce hub for Brown County.

As of mid 2025, we are a fully established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The STEAMery has secured a relationship with the facility in Helmsburg and is advancing a clear, phased plan for development. Over the past several months, our focus has been intentionally placed on building a strong foundation before entering major capital fundraising. This includes clarifying the building scope, advancing construction planning, and launching early programs so the STEAMery is active, visible, and delivering real impact as we grow.

Programming Momentum

Even before opening the building, the STEAMery is already achieving our mission of "Educate Adventurously" by delivering programming through partnerships and off-site models:

• Youth Art League: A new, team-based creative program for middle and high school students modeled after youth sports, focused on collaboration, critique, and entrepreneurial thinking in collaboration with Second Story Studio.

• Biotech & BioArt Club: 5th grade hands-on science programming integrated into the school day, blending biology, forensics, microscopy, and art driven by local UCLA researcher, Erin Baker, and Helmsburg science teacher, Jodie Silbaugh. We are also working with Indiana University’s College of Arts and Sciences to host a hands-on spring STEAM field trip for Brown County 5th graders, aligned to the science curriculum and introducing students to genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology through real university labs and experiences.

• Coding Club (in partnership with 4-H): A youth coding and computational thinking program that introduces students to programming concepts, problem-solving, and technology pathways in a supportive, hands-on environment led by local Purdue extension agent, Chelsey Busby.

• eGaming & Technology Programs: An all-girls competitive youth Rocket League eGaming team for Spring 2026, structured like a traditional sports season with league play, championships, and adult supervision through Elite Gaming Live. The program combines competitive gaming with STEAM and career exploration.  

• Adult AI Classes (with the CRC): Practical, accessible AI classes for adults focused on understanding and using AI tools for work, business, and everyday applications.

• Pop-Up STEAM Classes & Workshops: Short-form classes hosted with local partners in art, culinary, and technology to test demand and shape future in-building programming.These programs allow us to demonstrate demand, build community trust, and ensure the STEAMery opens with proven, active use.

What’s Ahead

Over the coming months, our focus will be on:

• Hosting a February 19 open house and walkthrough to share plans and gather early feedback

• Completing final construction estimates and defining the full infrastructure scope

• Convening a small, invitation-only group of local leaders to anchor the infrastructure phase with a match fund

• Preparing for larger capital and grant fundraising once infrastructure numbers are finalized

• Continuing to expand and refine youth and workforce programming through community partnerships

Fundraising Progress

To date, the STEAMery has raised $31,750 in donations, with an additional $7,500 currently in progress. These early commitments are helping advance program planning, pilot initiatives, and position the organization for the next phase of infrastructure and capital fundraising.

How the Community Can Be Involved

• Spread the word by sharing the STEAMery’s mission and progress with friends, colleagues, and community members

• Invite others to attend our upcoming vision walkthroughs to build awareness and understanding

• Connect us with potential donors or partners who may be interested in supporting the work

• Volunteer to help host events or serve on planning and fundraising committees

• Share ideas or help identify opportunities for additional youth and workforce programming throughout the community

We are grateful for the growing support and collaboration as we continue building something meaningful for Brown County’s students, families, and future workforce.