Pikeville, KY — June 2025, Pikeville Elementary School welcomed more than fifty educators from Pikeville Independent, Floyd County, Pike County and Martin County school districts for the Eastern Kentucky STEAM Innovation Summer Institute. This five-day event brought together teachers in grades K-12 to explore project-based learning, computational thinking and deeper learning strategies rooted in Appalachian heritage.

Hosted at Pikeville Independent Elementary School in partnership with Floyd County Schools, BitSource and Digital Promise; this National Science Foundation grant supported institute featured three distinct cohorts as well as a flexible CT/STEAM track open to all participants.

Hands-on learning in every session

Each morning began with Innovator Talks by local makers, authors and researchers. In classrooms transformed into creative labs, teachers teamed up to design heritage-inspired PBL units. Participants sketched prototypes, drafted rubrics, tested digital tools and shared early drafts for feedback. Educators praised the balance of high-tech and low-tech approaches aimed at deepening student engagement.

“Watching teams bring Appalachian stories to life through coding and design reminded me how powerful place-based learning can be,” said Traci Tackett, BitSource Director of Digital Literacy and retired educator.

Wednesday field trip highlights local assets

Midweek, cohorts set off to explore University of Pikeville’s Bear Mountain trails, visit BitSource’s technology campus, and tour Pikeville to learn about local innovation with co-founder Rusty Justice as guide. On the bus Rusty shared how local innovation can spring from community-driven problem solving. Given the region possesses a rich heritage of forward thinking and innovative leaders dating back to the earliest founders. The Pikeville Cut-through scenic overlook, atop the second-largest earth moving & engineering project in the western hemisphere, sparked conversations about incorporating the outdoors into lesson design.

Flexible track builds new skills

On Thursday a CT/STEAM Flex Track offered one- to six-hour workshops on topics ranging from coding in the core curriculum to AI-infused classroom strategies and data practices for project-based learning. Educators with varying levels of experience left with concrete tools and classroom-ready activities.

“This collaboration across district lines is so impressive, and provides great educational benefits, especially in rural areas like Eastern Kentucky” said Emi Iwatani, Digital Promise Principal Investigator. Co-Principal Investigator Merijke Coenraad added “This institute creates a supportive environment where educators can test new ideas and refine them in real time.”

Looking ahead

By week’s end teachers had crafted ready-to-teach units, gained fresh ideas for deeper learning integration and built new partnerships across districts. Stipends and materials grants will help bring these designs into classrooms when school resumes.

“Our goal is that every student in Eastern Kentucky will benefit from place-based education where they value the unique benefits of Appalachia while gaining the skills to solve the region's toughest challenges through these teacher-designed projects,” said Neil Arnett, Pikeville Independent Schools Director of Technology and project lead for the institute.  Amy Newsome, Floyd County Digital Learning Coach, noted “I’ve seen teachers leave with renewed energy and practical plans they can implement on day one.” Mike Bell, of Floyd County & an institute co-founder, observed “The level of collaboration and creativity this week has been remarkable. The work students will complete through experiences designed by the educators will lead to deeper understanding of content, applicable problem-solving skills and vibrant learning experiences.”

Sarah Blackburn, Pikeville Ind Community Schools Coordinator & Digital Learning Coach adds, “District leaders see that the institute’s success reflects a shared commitment to hands-on, place-based learning that connects students to their community.” As Pikeville Elementary closes its doors on this year’s event, organizers are already planning next summer’s sessions to continue building capacity across the region.

Images from the week

• Group photo on the front steps of Pikeville Elementary
  
  

• Collaborative design sessions in the science lab and library
  
  

• Field trip bus ride to BitSource, Bear Mountain and student-led tour
  
  

• Flex Track workshops on AI tools and coding in core subjects
  
  

For more information about next year’s institute or to join our mailing list please contact Neil Arnett at neil.arnett@pikeville.kyschools.us.