Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas City ISD Completes New STEM, Robotics Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/30/24

The Texas City Independent School District near Houston, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new STEM and Robotics Center geared towards students across grades K–12, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects and Bartlett Cocke for the project’s design and construction. It involved the conversion of a vacant storage building into a STEM lab for both educational and competitive use.

The building features an open arena to host robotics competitions, as well as a control room where students can manage video and audio. It also offers a fabrication lab for metal and woodworking, classrooms, and a maker space for elementary-school students.

“Working with Texas City ISD to bring the STEM Center to life has been a remarkable journey,” said Raleigh Sullivan, managing principal at the Houston office of Pfluger. “Their vision and leadership significantly contributed to this project's success. We're proud to have contributed to a space where so much learning and discovery will unfold.”

Local industry partner Marathon Petroleum Corporation donated $1 million to the project’s construction. Funding also came from a portion of a $158.6-million bond package passed in 2022. Marathon played an active role in shaping the building’s design and curriculum to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM.

“This state-of-the-art facility, the first achievement from the 2022 bond referendum, is the result of collaborative efforts, dedication and the unwavering support of our community,” said Dr. Melissa Duarte, TCISD Superintendent. “I want to thank the architects at Pfluger and the team at Bartlett-Cocke for bringing this dream to life. Together, we have created an environment that will not only satisfy the curiosity of our students, but will also serve as a catalyst for stimulating creativity and advancing critical thinking skills.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • DLR Group Announces New Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has promoted Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, to the role of higher education leader in the Mid-Atlantic, according to a news release. Gaither has served with the firm for more than 20 years, most recently as the national higher education business development leader.