SHADY SPRING, WV (WVNS)– A student’s typical day at Shady Spring Elementary is quite different from worksheets and lectures.

Students learn through STEAM which stands for Science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics education. Back in 2020, retired engineer Carl Shrock donated $30,000 to the principal and students of Shady Spring. On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Shrock gave the school an additional $10,000 donation to go towards STEAM projects. Shrock said he is glad to know his money is going towards the children’s future.

“It can help the little kids more than anything. It’s really enlightening to see what’s being done here. You can’t imagine. I’m sure 99.9 percent of people have no idea, except the parents who come in the school to see. It’s great,” Shrock said.

Shady Spring Elementary Principal Penny Lowery, said the school purchased a book vending machine, small robotics, and other innovative tools incorporated in the STEAM program.

“Innovative learning keeps students engaged and gives them to have a desire to want to come to learn. They really think they’re playing when they’re learning through STEAM,” Lowery said.

Lowery said in a way, the children are teaching the teachers.

“Their responsible for their own learning and the teacher just facilitates. They know more about this than we do. So, they take off with it and they’ve done things and taught us things we didn’t know.” Lowery said.