Chippewa Middle School, a part of the Moundsview School District has been partnering with the redevelopment team of the old Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) on a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) project. The event held at the school on February 19th and 20th put the entire seventh grade student body in touch with the team. Professionals from Ramsey County Public Works, Property Management, Parks and Recreation and the County Manager’s Office; the City of Arden Hills; the environmental engineers; and master planning consultants acted as mentors to the students in a project that let the kids try their hand at designing systems on a redeveloped TCAAP of the future.
Groups explored the buildings and roads as well as environmental issues, including recycling, parks, trees and watersheds. Each team of two classes had to design their own part of the project while interacting with other groups. The student’s collective vision for the future was very interesting to witness, and everyone had fun learning and dreaming.
Although a virtual tour was used to show off the site this winter, redevelopment officials have set aside an onsite trailer as a classroom for the program to continue this fall. The school would like to make this a multi-year effort as it lends its self to the STEAM model and TCAAP is located in the center of the Mounds View School District.