The Region 9 Board of Education has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids for the first phase of a $2 million project that will upgrade the space used for Joel Barlow High School’s STEM program.
The request is for architectural design firm bids for a design study that will “reimagine and modernize existing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning environments to create innovative and flexible spaces that promote collaboration and hands-on learning,” according to the RFP.
Plans call for retrofitting a classroom dedicated to the STEM program and then incorporating surrounding spaces to expand the dedicated STEM area, according to Superintendent Dr. Jason McKinnon.
“The solicitation requires architects to engage directly with key stakeholders, including students, staff and community members to develop conceptual designs that align with the vision,” the RFP states. “The selected contractor will be responsible for developing detailed design concepts that transform current STEM educational spaces into dynamic, modern learning environments that support collaborative and interactive educational approaches.”
The review will also include detailed cost estimates for the work, according to the RFP. Bids for the work are due later this month.
“After focusing on several athletic facility projects in recent years, the board is now excited to turn its attention to advancing the STEM initiative,” said Region 9 Board of Education Chair Todd Johnston. “Updates to both our learning spaces and the program of studies will better equip Barlow students to thrive in a rapidly evolving world where innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving are key to success.”
The firm selected will be responsible for organizing two to four workshops for the STEM Study Working Group and the Region 9 Board of Education Curriculum Committee to review the plans with school officials and the school board. It will also be expected to “provide direction and industry practices on how to best utilize this area of the building to support the shared vision,” according to the RFP.
That process will conclude with the submission of educational specifications, conceptual drawings and cost estimates illustrating how the space can be reworked to better serve the STEM program.
The funds for this phase of the project are included in the 2024-25 school budget, said Michael D’Agostino, the district’s director of facilities and operations, but the board will have to determine from where funding for the rest of the project will come.
“Expanding our emphasis in this curricular domain is another key component of our strategic plan,” McKinnon told the board at its Feb. 13 meeting. “We believe that these investments are vital to our preparing students for success, both in higher education and in the rapidly evolving workforce.”
And it’s in the workforce where the investment in the school’s STEM program will really pay off, he said.
“Research consistently highlights the growing demand for STEM-related skills across a wide range of industries,” McKinnon told the board, “with projections indicating that STEM-related occupations will grow at nearly twice the rate of non-STEM careers over the next decade.”
Along with the infrastructure improvements, the STEM course options also will expand, McKinnon said. New offerings will include cybersecurity, game design, computer animation and AI, advanced robotics, system engineering, AP business principles and broadcasting.
By expanding course offerings and improving STEM facilities, the school will provide students with “high-quality, hands-on learning experiences that will cultivate the very skills that we define in our Portrait of a Graduate,” he said. “This commitment to enhancing stem curriculum and infrastructure reflects both a response to student interest and an alignment to state and national priorities.”
The firm chosen for the design work also will submit a proposed timeline of the project, with work slated to begin this summer.
The emphasis on STEM education dates back to the 1990s, when the first dedicated STEM programs emerged. Then in 2007, the STEM Education Coalition was formed, and that was bolstered by former President Barack Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” initiative, which called for the expansion and funding of STEM programs, according to the American College of Education.
Job opportunities in STEM-related fields have grown by 20% since 2011 and are expected to grow by another 11% by 2031, according to the federal Department of Labor, which is more than twice the rate of 4% for other job sectors. And these jobs pay better, according to the department — median salaries for STEM jobs were $90,000 in 2021, according to the department, compared to $40,000 in other job sectors.
