STEAM Centre relocates to core of St. Thomas to best serve community

STEAM Centre's new home is 168 Curtis St starting July 2!

CREATE. BUILD. SHARE.

Become a member and start making with our new laser cutter and more!

Join today!

Recycle your eWaste with us!

Take advantage of our re//BUILD.IT eRecycling and workshops program

Find out more!

Donate to STEAM Centre!

STEAM Centre is a registered charity. Your donations power field trips, programming, and community events!

Donate today!

STEAM City Media

STEAM City Media is a student-run media outlet and program of STEAM Centre.

Find out more!

About STEAM Education Centres

The mission of the STEAM Centre is to empower all learners and makers in Southwestern Ontario to create the future through play, ingenuity and exploration using STEAM learning tools. In doing so, the Centre delivers a comprehensive educational model focused on developing the creativity and problem-solving necessary to explore ideas and foster growth. The Government of Ontario and the Estate of Dorothy Fay Palmer have generously supported the STEAM Education Centre.

STEAM Education Centres Incorporated is a registered charity.

STEAM Centre

168 Curtis St Unit B, St. Thomas, ON N5P 3W9, Canada

Parking

If our parking spaces are full, you can park in the St. Catherine Parking Lot.

Phone: 226-212-0047
Email: info@steameducation.ca

STEAM Centre has moved!

STEAM Centre has relocated to best serve the community. Read more…

STEAMWorks and Workshop Hours

Tuesday to Thursday	3:00pm – 8:00pm
Saturday	10:00am – 6:00 pm

STEAM Centre Staff

At STEAM Centre, we have a passion for education and making!

Jessica Moyes

Executive Director

Jessica, is the perfect fit for her role at STEAM. As the former Sponsorship Manager at SickKids Foundation and holding a Masters degree in Education Policy, she is well qualified to secure both the community and corporate support the facility depends on, as well as offering a dynamic and compelling perspective on the educational mission of the Centre. She believes that the development of personal “soft skills”—including teamwork, experimentation, risk, and failure—combined with the digital competencies that STEAM teaches “will help learners create a better life for others in a fast paced, technological world.” Moyes is convinced the STEAM methodology is “essentially needed” to inspire learners who are “resilient, creative, resourceful, and courageous problem solvers.” If Dell is correct in its prediction—that 80% of the jobs demanded in 2030, have not even been invented yet—the tech opportunities provided by the STEAM Centre are truly now-inspired and cutting-edge

Fred Cahill

Director of Education

Fred is passionate about his work at the Centre. He is the sort of educator who delights in the creativity of the students’ success. With an Honours degree in Physics and post-graduate education in Cognitive Science and Intelligent Computing, Cahill has extensive, international experience in toy design and the teaching of scientific principles. At the Science Museum in London, England and as Head of Design for K’NEX International he had the opportunity to work with and train engineers, artists and educators all over the world. Not surprisingly, Cahill believes that one the most important “strands of educational opportunity is digital literacy [because] virtually any job in the future will involve high tech.” Cahill aims to make sure the Centre is a place that “allows students the opportunity to shine.” According to one student, Cahill “can make a self-proclaimed non-techy feel like a genius. … He makes you feel like you are part of the STEAM family. He is truly a gem”.

Josh Gorman

Facility & IT Manager

Josh believes in giving people – children and adults – the tools to understand technology. “Once the fear is gone, people become more comfortable with technology, feeling, then, empowered to play and experiment with it.” Josh developed this pedagogical philosophy while working for over 17 years in IT support and instruction at Fanshawe College – St. Thomas/Elgin Regional Campus. “The best thing is seeing that look of wonderment.” When that happens, students feel “this is cool; I can do this.” Knowledge takes meaning when learners realize the practical, real world application of those scientific and technological skills. “Each student is different and needs to be given what’s necessary to learn; they need to know the procedure, the path, and the global significance of what they are learning.”

Elizabeth Nagy

Welcome Desk and Program Coordinator

Heather Kaufmann-Seelisch

Curriculum & Content Developer

STEAM Centre Board of Directors

Sarah Macintyre

Board Chair

Sarah Macintyre has been involved with the development of the STEAM Centre since 2015. She currently works at St. Thomas Public Library; responsible for collections, circulation, and technology. Sarah is passionate about maker culture, and is inspired every day by the staff team at STEAM Centre and all the amazing programs they provide to the community.

Bryan White

Vice-Chair

Bryan White is the co-president of Ardent Industries, the parent brand of Steelway Building Systems and Zelus Material Handling. While Bryan was raised in the family business, his leadership role started after graduating from the University of Waterloo where he received a BASc in Civil Engineering. Bryan’s strong quantitative problem solving skills have led him to become the highly proficient and successful leader he is today. Bryan believes that relationships are at the heart of business and he strives to maintain fair and fun relationships with employees, customers, vendors, and the community. A self-proclaimed geek, he harnesses his personal passion for technology into designing and implementing business systems. When he is not working, Bryan can be found woodworking, baking, cycling, or negotiating with his two children, Escher and Ayla.

Sandra Poczobut

Secretary

Sandra Poczobut is an artist, educator and maker at heart. Locally, Sandra manages programming and community development for Elgin County Library. She is passionate about integrating the A (Arts) into STEAM through project based learning. She has been busy acquiring new skills using the laser cutter at the STEAM Centre and learning how to integrate this new technology into ceramic tiles and installations, a skill she learned through a 5 week course at the STEAM Centre. She hopes to one day own a pet robot.

Amanda Devries

Director

Amanda DeVries owns the newly rebranded Amanda DeVries Content + Creative, a full service marketing agency that builds and resuscitates brands of all sizes. She spent 10 years in Ottawa, where her work from governmental agencies kept her busy but not terribly inspired. Moving to Southwestern Ontario 8 years ago has given her the opportunity to work with small, local businesses and to work daily face-to-face with real people. Trained as an electrical engineer, she can still write the odd line or two of CSS even though she dreams in pattern & colour. Follow her along @adevriescreative on Instagram & Twitter or visit amandadevries.com.

Rick Pardo

Director

Rick Pardo (Director) currently serves as Coordinator of Culture of Innovation for the Thames Valley District School Board. As a teacher and leader since 2000, Rick earned a Masters degree in biomechanics from the University of Waterloo. He jumped into public education in 2000 by accepting a teaching position followed by a position at the Thames Valley Board’s Education Centre as the school board’s coordinator of science education. At this point, Rick moved from teaching kids to teaching teachers. As Thames Valley’s Coordinator for the Culture of Innovation, Rick leads education reform initiatives, workshops and seminars across North America and has taken on the challenge of creating the conditions for continuous improvement, creativity and innovation across the Thames Valley District School Board.

Donors and Sponsors

STEAM Centre would like to thank our donors and sponsors. Your donations help power fieldtrips, workshops, a place for makers to create cool and interesting projects, and even help propel their new business with access to tools like 3D Printing, CNC, Laser cutting/engraving and more!

Donors and Sponsors ($10,000 and up)

Green Lane Community Trust Fund

Ontario Library Capacity Fund

Estate of Dorthy Faye Palmer

St. Thomas Sanitary Collection Services Limited

Wayne and Mary Thornton

Donors and Sponsors ($1,000 to $4,999)

Debra and Carl Bagshaw

Ian Begg

Ken Bocking

Steve Bocking

Charlie Clark

Sandra and Gene DiMeo

Dowler-Karn Limited

Andrew Gunn

David Gunn

Stacey and Joe Hayhoe

Hepburn Orchards

IIWII Foods Inc.

Kinsmen Club of St. Thomas

Wendy Mansbridge

Masco Canada Ltd.

Bob and Janet McCaig

Kathy Schaeffer Moyes

Sandra Poczobut and Paul Jenkins

Joe Preston

St. Thomas Energy Inc.

Steelway Building Systems

Doug Tarry Jr.

Williams Funeral Home Ltd.

Donors and Sponsors ($250 to $999)

CRA Landfill Operations Limited

Gorman-Rupp Pumps Canada

JMP Engineering