On September 8, 2019, Eagle Hill School celebrated the grand opening of the PJM STEM Center along with another academic year. The STEM Center was a 13-month long project to fulfill Eagle Hill’s mission to evolve its teaching philosophy and move to a space that would encourage flexibility and collaboration. The STEM Center encompasses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, as well as dedicated space for innovation and entrepreneurialism. Additionally, the overall project included a revitalization of the existing academic spaces moving toward more open and flexible spaces as well as enhanced social spaces. In recognition of the way our kids learn, and more importantly, thrive, the new STEM Center creates an imaginative, collaborative, and cutting edge space for them to expand their academic experience while developing professional and technical acumen.
Funding for the center came from a $50 Million Dare to Dream capital campaign and by the generosity of our Board of Trustees, our closest friends, and leading current and alumni families. Lead donors to the campaign and the STEM Center, Diana and Peter Merriam, chose to name the center in recognition of the extraordinary leadership of current Head of School Dr. PJ McDonald. The PJM STEM Center honors Dr. McDonald’s leadership in a way that reflects just how much he has meant to the Eagle Hill School community. At the opening of the PJM STEM Center, Dr. McDonald accepted this honor with gratitude and these words, “Over the last twenty-seven years, I honestly cannot remember a single day in which I did not want to be doing THIS job on THIS campus… My excitement and passion to lead Eagle Hill School has never been greater. We have so many important and innovative initiatives to imagine and create as, together, we work toward building the perfect school for our children.”
Please enjoy this video of our grand opening:
To learn more about the design vision for the PJM STEM Center, see our blog post Creating the Adjacent Possible by Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael Riendeau.
