STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) at The STEAM Project is more than just a buzzword – it’s a philosophy.
James (Jay) Wengle, the founder of the STEAM Project, knows what it’s like to feel out of place in a traditional classroom. Like many children today, he had a hard time sitting still at a desk and often found himself in trouble. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to learn. Rather than sitting through a lesson about gravity, he was the kind of child who wanted to drop different objects, test predictions, and see the results for himself.
These experiences shaped everything the team does at The STEAM Project. They believe that children think best when they’re building, tinkering, creating, and moving. When children learn this way, something shifts. They begin to trust their ideas. They become more comfortable with challenges. They stop asking, “Is this right?” and start asking, “What happens if I try this?” That confidence carries back into school and into everyday life.
In most schools today, learning involves following steps to find the “right” answer and memorizing facts. The STEAM Project knows that children deserve more than this and that learning should take place through doing. They want children to feel empowered to solve problems (thinking like an inventor) and continue to stay curious about the world around them.

Here’s what STEAM education looks like at camp:
• Encourage children to design, test, and build – not just memorize.
• Cultivate proactive thinkers who generate ideas – not just evaluate them.
• Create space for trial and error – crucial for learning.
• Foster confidence in creative thinking and real-world problem-solving skills.
• Allow children to explore how they think – not just what to think.
It is true that some of their projects involve guided steps, but that’s just the beginning. They want children to customize their work, ask deeper questions, and experiment with their own ideas once the foundation is in place. Instruction should be thought of as a springboard, not the finish line. For example, a child might be challenged to design an air-powered rocket that can travel a great distance. They make decisions about the length of the rocket, the shape of the nose cone, and number and shape of stabilizer fins. Then they test, make adjustments, and test again!
Technology such as computers, tablets and software can play an important role in STEAM education as children develop and how they use it matters. In a world where we are constantly connected with screens everywhere, it is more important now than ever before to give children a break from being “always on”. That’s why, at The STEAM Project, there is very little time spent in front of a screen, especially for younger children. When screens are used, children are introduced to coding, robotics, and fabrication, learning how digital tools can be used to bring their ideas to life, not just pass the time. The STEAM Project wants children to view technology as a tool for creation instead of consumption.
STEAM education matters because the world doesn’t just need people who can follow directions, it needs thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers. The world children are growing into will reward adaptability, creativity, and initiative far more than memorization.
Real growth happens when children have space and opportunity to create. Without creative and constructive thinking, we are simply analyzing what already exists instead of imagining what could be. STEAM education gives children the tools to develop a mindset that values questioning, discovery, and invention instead of correctness.