EXSEED is pleased to announce that Houston Adventist Academy (HAA) has been fully awarded the EXSEED Design Thinking Grant. This grant, totaling $31,500, will fund a project to integrate Design Thinking and Problem Based Learning (PBL) across HAA’s entire Prekindergarten through 12th-grade (PK–12) STEM curriculum.

Cultivating Creative Innovators

The grant directly supports HAA's mission to cultivate critical thinkers, ethical leaders, and lifelong learners. The initiative, spearheaded by HAA's Innovation and Technology Teacher, Michelle Alejandra Saker, will transform instruction from traditional methods to a dynamic, student-centered experience. Students will be equipped with the mindset and tools to solve authentic, real-world problems.

Key Transformation Highlights

The funds will establish a comprehensive Innovation Lab and design thinking framework, focusing on three essential areas:

  1. Cutting-Edge Technology Access: The largest portion of the grant will procure essential technology, including 3D printers, Robotics kits, Micro:bits, and Arduinos. The integration of 3D printing is crucial, enabling students to move from theoretical concepts to creating tangible prototypes during the design cycle.
  2. Professional Development: Funds are designated for targeted workshops and a continuous learning community to ensure all faculty are fully trained in the five stages of design thinking and PBL integration.
  3. Curriculum Redesign: HAA will redesign unit plans around student-centered projects that expand learning pathways to include the arts and sustainability (STREAM/STREAMS). Students will collaborate to solve authentic, real-world problems facing their communities.

The program will also host Innovation Days—school-wide showcases where students present their solutions to the community—and establish cross-grade project teams to foster mentorship and leadership.

Building a Network of Excellence

HAA plans to use the grant to formalize a replicable model of innovation by:

  • Expanding Collaboration: Utilizing the grant to create a wider Houston-area network of Adventist schools through shared projects and showcases.
  • University Partnerships: Partnering with institutions like Southwestern Adventist University, Loma Linda University, and Andrews University to co-lead teacher trainings and serve as mentors for student projects.

By fully funding this proposal, EXSEED is enabling Houston Adventist Academy to ensure its students are not just consumers of knowledge, but creators, innovators, and leaders prepared to contribute meaningfully to the world.