Zanesville Schools are STEAMing Ahead

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Zanesville City Schools is expanding their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math program by offering a new, specialized learning complex. 

The new, state of the art, $13.3 Million dollar, 29,000 square foot facility will add versatility and convenience for students involved in a wide range of steam and physical education activities.

“We’re so excited about our new facility here,” Zanesville City Schools Superintendent Laura Tompkins said. “We are going to call it the STEAM Center at Zanesville City Schools. It has three robotics rooms. We’re going to house all the robotics programs here, elementary, middle school and high school. This will allow the students to work together. We’re going to partner with some engineers to come in and help out the program. So they’re going to be able to be in this multipurpose space here at the middle of the lab spaces. So that robotics teams are going to be here.”

The facility will also feature an M-D/autism room that can teach life skills, a 306 seat auditorium for the music and arts departments, along with a 30-yard, indoor, field-turf space and weight room for physical education and a variety of extracurricular athletic programs.  

“Well I think we always need more space,” Tompkins said. “Students always need more space. And collaboration is a big goal here at Zanesville City Schools and in a space like this, there can be a lot of collaboration among students and community members. I know we also share some space with the Memorial Band  and the Rusty Knights. They’re going to be able to use the facility as well. So I think it’s going to benefit not only our students but the community.”

Tompkins noted that the additional lab spaces will be able to house educational resources, such as tools and equipment that will not easily fit in conventional classrooms and that by offering things that students are interested in helps to boost their morale.

$11.8 Million of the $13.3 Million dollar project were covered by ESSER funds that were provided to help schools overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.