Case Study: Creswell Middle School engages at-risk students in STEM learning with SAM Labs Maker Course

SAM Labs Makerspace Course Helps At-Risk Students Work on STEM Skills

Creswell Middle School in Oregon needed a better way to engage at-risk and disruptive students who weren’t responding to traditional, lecture-based instruction. Teacher Stan Mercer found that hands-on projects like building skateboards could spark interest, but he wanted a way to tie those activities to STEM learning, so he turned to SAM Labs and its Maker Course.

Using SAM Labs’ Maker Course, Mercer introduced 75 hands-on STEAM and coding challenges that blended math, science, and real-world problem solving into student-led projects. The approach helped build strong engagement, expanded into a growing “class” of interested students, and even led students to develop business proposals for their creations; while no formal metrics were provided, SAM Labs helped unlock participation, motivation, and practical STEM skill-building.

Creswell Middle School

Mercer

Teacher