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.
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
- Join the Greenhouse Committee or lead it. This is the group that decides whether there is a spring season.
- Tell a business owner about Project Fish and send them to the Cohort 2 waitlist.
- Give. Gifts this fall go toward the greenhouse pilot extension and the next round of student programs.
- 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.
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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