MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Teachers and parents at Lakeview Academy should see a real increase in student interest in STEM work moving forward.

That’s thanks in large part to a $3,500 donation from the Sandersville-based Thiele Kaolin Company that helped pay for assorted materials to create a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab at the third through fifth grade school. Thiele representatives and school administrators were on hand at Lakeview Academy Thursday for a ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening the lab to students and faculty.

Eric Tillirson, president of Thiele, said his company employs a number of scientists, engineers and IT personnel so getting children working in those fields is crucial to the industry. 

The company has been in business for more than 70 years. 

Tillirson sees Thiele’s donation as an investment in the company’s possible future workforce.

“I think it’s important to get them started earlier so they will continue to follow that curriculum through their early education as well as through their college years. … The kids now have space and microscopes whereby they can begin exploring and learning in the area,” Tillirson said. “Hopefully that’ll be a gateway to continue interest going forward.”

Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Noris Price discussed how expanding both STEM and STEAM (the added “A” is for art) curriculum in the district is important to meet the growing job needs both locally and in the United States. Midway Hills Primary currently has a full-time STEAM teacher and lab in place, so the new lab at Lakeview Academy will give all students, no matter what district they’re in, exposure to STEAM work before they hit middle school. 

“What the STEM lab does is it gives them hands-on experience and exposure to careers in those fields,” Price said. “I think it’s really important for us to plant that seed at an early age and then also expose them to the possibilities of what they can do as they continue their education on to college and then graduate. We want to be able to provide our state and our nation with the workforce that is needed in the future. … We’re very fortunate to have a lot of business partners that help us in many ways. This is just another example of how that strong partnership is helping us to provide a world-class education to our students.”

Students rushed in to the new STEM lab Thursday, even though it was after regular school hours, to enjoy all the new equipment. What they found were many microscopes, specimens to observe under them, and other lab equipment that will help enhance their educational experience. One of the coolest new additions is a microscope with wi-fi capabilities that projects what it sees onto the board for the whole class to see. 

Price credited Lakeview Academy Principal Dr. Shawne Holder with having the vision for the new lab. The school principal then passed praise along to media specialist Victoria Basilio for following through with that vision. Basilio’s husband, Dr. Cesar Basilio, works for Thiele, and helped get things going with the donation. Holder added that the school is already looking to expand the new lab outdoors and create a fossil dig for the young scientists. Lakeview Academy teachers will rotate through the lab for the remainder of this school year, and the principal said the plan is to add a full-time STEM coordinator for next term.

“I just want to say a big thank you to Thiele for providing this opportunity and helping us to make this vision come to fruition here at Lakeview Academy,” Holder said.

“We’re pleased to offer the initial donation in this area to get the program started at the school,” said Tillirson. “We hope that others will support it in the future with their time and efforts.”