Five STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) students at Huddleston Elementary were invited by Peachtree City Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and city councilman Mike King to take a tour of the Lake Peachtree spillway project.

At the lake construction site, students were greeted by Allan Harp who is the president of North Georgia Concrete, Inc., the concrete company Peachtree City will use to recreate the new dam for Lake Peachtree. Harp talked with students about the importance of the project and showed them how some of the skills they learn in the STEAM program are used daily during the spillway project.

With safety gear on, each student had an opportunity to walk on the construction site and witness first-hand the intricate details of the Lake Peachtree spillway project including the formation of the dam.

Leslie Baer, operations manager at INTERRATED Science & Technology, presented all five students with a booklet which explained different aspects of the project, such as how many gallons of water it would take fill the dam, the amount of concrete needed to complete the dam, and many other interesting facts about the project.

From cranes to hammers and everything in between, students were eager to explore and learn the many different facets of the spillway project. During one of Harp’s demonstrations about measurements, Max Thurman, a third grader, said “Oh yeah! We talked about this in STEAM.”

Huddleston’s STEAM club meets every Tuesday after school. During this time, students learn about science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.

Heidi Pfannestiel says, “The field trip was important because it provided students with the opportunity to take their learning outside the classroom and see the engineering design process in action.”

To show their appreciation for the student’s participation, Baer presented each student with a personalized hardhat and safety vests to take home with them.

Enrichment teacher Kathryn Floyd, one of the teachers who attended the field trip, says, “The kids were treated like royalty and the mayor and engineers taught them so much about the process of constructing a dam.”