MINGO JUNCTION — Indian Creek Middle School’s media center has gotten a makeover of sorts and is now being utilized as a makerspace for creativity.

Library Coordinator Angela Penner said the facility still includes library books and seating for classes but also gives students access to things from 3-D printers to media and robotics. The room includes two large interactive flat screens, a color laser printer and laminating machines for projects.

“Students are responsible for staff spotlights and kids interview teachers as a class project, plus we do marketing and media literacy,” said Penner. “We’ve also changed the class name from media literacy to the STEM media lab.”

She said the center also provides VEX Robotics and the school acquired STEM Dremel machines and a heat press, while another heat press was donated by local businessman Shawn Villamagna of Riverview Tee Designs in Wellsburg. Penner said she worked with school administrators to develop the site over the summer to create a real hands-on learning site for pupils.

“The idea was to have student engagement and I had a conversation with (Principal) Holly Minch-Hick and (then-Assistant Principal) Scott Abercrombie and they liked the idea. I previously worked at Indian Creek High School and at WTOV-TV and I was thinking about kids learning to use their creativity.”

She also worked with educator David Guess to acquire machines while paraprofessional Carla Hirschfeld assisted with the endeavor, and Penner hopes to offer kids more variety in the related arts programs. Their first project was for eighth-graders to create designs for T-shirts and Villamagna created transfers with the top five choices selected by the student body. Students then pressed those designs onto shirts. In another project, sixth-and-seventh-grade pupils have been spotlighting teachers and staff members. Pupils also crafted PowerPoint presentations about cybercrime in the digital era and how to remain safe from incidents through apps and social media.

Penner was impressed with their creations and said the makerspace has made a positive impact.

“Students are living in the digital world and their innovative thinking has been amazing,” she said. “I think the kids like it. It’s a learning curve for their future.”

She noted that everyone has been working hard and the program carried over into the Sycamore Center afterschool program.

“Our school is working with the afterschool program and receives great support, and I know our school teachers are doing a great job,” she continued.

The first class wrapped up on Nov. 1 and a new crop of students rotated into the class.