Knightly News

Permanent STEAM Stations, a Mini Knights Maker Space and a new Light and Shadow space are coming to the QUEST Center in Foster Hall this school year! These reimagined spaces are sure to inspire creativity and exploration in a facility dedicated to purposeful play.

QUEST Coordinator Stacy Hill can’t wait for students to interact with the new spaces. Last year, after hearing from first through third graders that they’d like to return to the QUEST Center for center time, Hill piloted a space within Investigation Station with those students in mind. Students loved the STEAM Stations, including the Air Toobz center, the light table and the magnetic ramp wall. The pilot was such a success that STEAM Stations are now a permanent part of Investigation Station, and students will return once a month to explore. Going forward, Hill will continue to add age‑appropriate experiences, including a sensory area modeled after early childhood spaces. Because the stations are mobile, Investigation Station can still transform into a hub for dissections and similar lessons, demonstrating the benefits of flexible design.

In the early childhood room, the new Mini Knights Maker Space becomes a permanent station, like the beloved sensory bin and tinker area. The Maker Space area provides students with a range of materials, such as tape, popsicle sticks and cardboard tubes, and Hill will challenge the little Knights to see what they can do.  This is one of her favorite lessons as she loves watching students discover through creation. In the past, she’s seen a child turn a cardboard tube into a watch and popsicle sticks into an airplane. This new dedicated center is sure to spark creativity, giving the little Knights the freedom to imagine, build and test their ideas.

This year, a new Light and Shadow Space within the Production Studio invites students to experiment with lamps, a light table and even an old overhead projector. The projector, which many teachers will recognize, allows students to examine and magnify objects. The interactive light table and mini lamps allow students to study how light interacts with colors and shapes. Hill says the applications for this new space are exciting, and she looks forward to seeing the discoveries students make inside.

While all three spaces have reimagined components, they will also continue to serve their original intent. Essentially, the design expands the QUEST learning opportunities and creates new ways for students to grow.

Teachers make learning fun

These reimagined spaces highlight the talent of Episcopal teachers. They are masters at designing environments that support multiple learning goals at once, and they recognize the educational potential in everyday materials. Teachers also model flexibility and creativity, adjusting spaces to meet developmental needs and learning objectives. More importantly, they make learning fun so that students are so immersed in play that they don’t realize they’re building essential skills. “There’s not a right way to play in these areas,” says Hill. “We provide materials, and the students provide the magic.”

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.