The Cedar Rapids Welcome Sign for the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation’s Mini Pines miniature golf course is coming along nicely. This piece, milled out of PVC board needs to be glued up and painted before it goes on display next month for golfers to take selfies in front of. This will be a great-looking piece that will be a tremendous addition to the mini tree of 5 seasons already at the course, designed and constructed by students last spring.

STEAM Academy Prepares for Young Entrepreneurs Event

Metro Greenhouse Project

September 21, 2021– STEAM Academy teachers kicked off our marquee project of the year with an announcement to students of the two grants the Academy received to bring to life the addition of a greenhouse to our school space. The project visions a full-size educational and commercial greenhouse attached to the East side of the building on the site of the building’s current garden space. Community partners from Neumann Monson Architects , Feed Iowa First, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, and the NewBo City Market helped celebrate and lead groups of students in brainstorming sessions around design, layout, fundraising, and entrepreneurial products the greenhouse could generate. We are so appreciative of the initial support provided for this project. In early summer we were notified that our STEAM Academy was selected by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council as a model #STEMBEST program and awarded a $25,000 grant towards the project. In late summer we were notified that our project received an additional $25,000 in matching funds from the Wellmark Foundation. Our project budget goal is $84,000. This means that we are over halfway to our goal. If you or an organization you serve would like to support or partner on this project please reach out. Cedar Rapids Community School District