East Ridge Elementary School
Lab description
Grade Levels:
K-5
The East Ridge Elementary VW eLab is a welcoming makerspace where K‑5 students explore STEM and digital fabrication in a safe, inclusive environment. Here, creativity and curiosity flourish as children experiment with circuits, coding and 3D design, building the skills they will need for the future.
VW eLab Specialist
Jennifer Ellis
ennifer Ellis has been inspiring students in Hamilton County Schools since 2012. After seven years teaching math, she moved into career and technical education and now leads the eLab at East Ridge Elementary. A passionate advocate for STEM, Jennifer guides teachers through professional development, helped her school earn STEM designation and shares her work at international Fab Lab Network conferences.
Lab Impact
Project‑based learning lies at the heart of East Ridge’s VW eLab. Students are encouraged to explore, question and create from day one. Kindergarteners build paper circuits to understand electricity and design art to watch colors blend. As they grow, children program robots, model in TinkerCAD and fabricate using 3D printers and laser cutters. Every project connects to reading, math and science. Fifth graders studying energy design wind turbines and test blade styles. Fourth graders engineer water filters after reading about global water shortages. First graders build model communities with 3D buildings and laser‑cut roads to learn measurement and civic duty. The lab is also a hub for teacher collaboration. Teachers plan cross‑curricular units and attend coding and fabrication workshops led by Jennifer Ellis. Families join community maker nights where they create paper lanterns, ornaments and wearable art with their children. Students also design spirit items, create logos and build birdhouses with older students for community gardens. These experiences teach empathy, communication and financial literacy while reinforcing classroom content and building a culture of curiosity, creativity and resilience. The school invites partners to propose challenges; students design signage and shirts for community groups. They run pop‑up markets, learn budgeting and donate profits to charity. Each success and failure teaches resilience and pride. They share their projects at school assemblies and district exhibitions.
Project Highlights
As East Ridge Elementary grows its VW eLab, excitement is building. In the first quarter, classes explore paper circuits, ink diffusion, LED greeting cards and block coding. Students learn to use 3D printers and laser cutters to make keychains and bookmarks. Later, younger students design toy vehicles and habitats; middle grades engineer marble runs and energy projects; older grades create timelines, maps and coded games with vinyl and fabric tools. Through every project, students plan, sketch, prototype, test and refine using the design process. They reflect on their work and share it at quarterly exhibitions where families and community partners celebrate student learning. The lab hosts co‑planning sessions and professional development in 3D modeling, microcontrollers and digital fabrication so teachers can integrate the lab into literacy, math and science. School spirit projects like designing T‑shirts and banners, crafting items for fundraisers and service projects for nonprofits showcase skills and raise funds. Ms. Ellis coordinates teacher workshops and a school‑wide challenge. Classes might design a compost system or welcome signage. Students survey users, budget materials and present prototypes to a panel of teachers and community members, then refine and implement the top solution. The VW eLab will partner with local businesses and high‑school Fab Lab peers to provide mentorship and real‑world context. As East Ridge’s VW eLab becomes part of daily learning, highlights show how curiosity, innovation and community engagement are woven into school culture.