Innovation + Design

At St. Martin’s learning is not just about thinking, but about doing. The Innovation + Design (I+D) program is turning the notion of a traditional classroom on its head, giving students opportunities to tackle big projects with real solutions for real problems.

Innovation + Design skills are scaffolded age appropriately from the Lower School STeaM curriculum through the four-year I+D course rotation in the Middle School where students move through multi language coding, woodworking, production, and app development. Working alongside faculty, Upper School students integrate I+D skills and projects into core subject areas while engaging in projects that cross artificial disciplinary lines.

The Gibbs Family Center for Innovation + Design

The Gibbs Family Center for Innovation + Design (CID), a 4,900 square foot facility, is one of the most comprehensive school-based maker space in the region. It operates simultaneously as a design studio, prototyping lab, production studio, woodworking and build shop (indoor and outdoor), flexible classroom space, and community partnership workspace. The space features 3D printers, laser cutters, modeling software, video and audio equipment to enable and support rapid prototyping of ideas, field research, and multimedia design and presentations.

The Lower school STeaM Lab

The STeaM Lab highlights the school's commitment to its Innovation + Design program. Starting in first grade, students are supplied with Chromebooks in a 1:1 program.making innovation + design a key element in the educational experience of all St. Martin's students. In the Upper School, students are allowed to use a laptop and operating system of their choice. 

Students begin their journey into technology through its STeaM Lab and Computer Lab. Coding concepts are introduced with hands-on, concrete exercises beginning in PK and are further developed through Code.org and programmable robots in higher grade levels. Design concepts are explored through Tinkercad and SketchUp as students learn how to take their ideas from paper to CAD software to 3D printed objects. 

In Lower School, students also become proficient at using various iPad apps, including iMovie for video, audio, and green screen production. All Lower School students are taught basic computer operations, including keyboarding skills, as early as Pre-Kindergarten. Students are introduced to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tools to enhance their curricular projects and assignments. We have chosen to use online tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, to foster the collaborative process. Students are introduced to several different devices and operating systems, including Windows, iPads, Chromebooks, and more.