The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about plans for a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or “STEM”, lab at Taylorville High School, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Instructor Jodi Van Uytven and 6 students from the Taylorville High School STEM program, talked about how the high school lab was formed.  The class turned into a formal proposal for a new room in the high school building to house the lab.

Van Uytven's 6 students that assisted in the presentation were Brock Swisher, Seth Sloan, Blake Beckley, Nick Livingston, Jack Livingston, and Riley Barker. 

Van Uytven and her students told the Kiwanis Club, that they've raised over one-hundred thousand dollars towards the 250-thousand dollar cost.  After several presentations to the School Board and community groups, the students have gotten a commitment from the School Board to cover construction and furniture, with the remaining monies raised to go for equipment.

Van Uytven said the difference between the proposed STEM lab and the way education has taught for decades, gives students more opportunities to learn.

The new Taylorville High School STEM Lab will be patterned after successful STEM labs at other high schools in the state, and comes on the heels of the success of the local Junior High School STEM Lab that was established last year.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.