By Tyler Christiansen
STEMIA SW Junior High Options
We have some incredibly exciting news to share! STEM Innovation Academy has been officially awarded a prestigious $5,000 A+ for Energy grant.
This incredible funding will directly support our Foundations of Flight program, allowing our students to take their aviation, technology, and environmental skills to a whole new level.
The Project: Drones, 3D Modeling, and Solar Potential
With this grant, our students are launching an ambitious, real-world project that bridges cutting-edge technology with environmental sustainability.
Students will be taking to the skies—virtually and literally—by flying drones to map the roofs of buildings right here in the Haysboro community. But they aren’t just taking aerial photos.
Here is how the project works:
- Drone Mapping: Students pilot drones to capture high-resolution geospatial data of local rooftops.
- 3D Modeling: Using advanced software, they will transform those drone images into accurate, 3D digital models of the buildings.
- Solar Assessment: Students will analyze these 3D models to calculate exactly how much solar energy potential a house or building possesses, factoring in roof angle, surface area, and shading.
- The Big Picture: The ultimate goal is to calculate the potential carbon offset for these properties and plot the data onto a public-facing interactive map.
Through this initiative, our students aren’t just learning out of a textbook—they are providing actionable, green-energy insights for our local community.
How the Funding Will Be Used
While the $5,000 grant validates the hard work of our educators and students, the real impact is what comes next.
We will be using these funds to directly expand the Foundations of Flight program. Specifically, the money will allow us to invest in professional, work-related units, advanced software, and industry-grade tools. This ensures our students are gaining hands-on experience with the exact technology used by modern surveyors, environmental engineers, and drone pilots today. By connecting drone technology with renewable energy mapping, our students are getting a front-row seat to the future of engineering and environmental science. This grant allows us to give them the professional tools they need to see themselves in these careers.
Thank you, A+ for Energy!
We want to extend a massive thank you to Inside Education and their A+ for Energy program for investing in our students and our vision. This project embodies everything we stand for at STEM Innovation Academy: innovation, real-world problem solving, and community impact.
Stay tuned to the 2026/2027 school year as we begin our flights over Haysboro.
STEMIA Journal 