Middle school students in our community now have the opportunity to discover whether their future might be in engineering, advanced manufacturing, automation, design, or the skilled trades, years before they need to choose a career path. New stem+M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math + Manufacturing) labs at both Biddeford Middle School (BMS) and Saco Middle School (SMS) are complete, bringing professional-grade technology and hands-on career exploration directly into the middle school experience.
The opportunity began when the U.S. Navy, Department of War approached the Biddeford School Department and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology about supporting a stem+M lab in Biddeford. With Superintendent Jeremy Ray serving both the Biddeford and Saco School Departments, the conversation quickly became an opportunity to bring the same investment in stem+M education to students in both communities. Ray and district leaders worked with the U.S. Navy, Department of War, and regional partners to expand the initiative to both middle schools, ensuring that Saco students would have access to the same hands-on learning, advanced technologies, and career-connected experiences available through this new program. Together, the initiative represents $1 million in funding ($500,000 for each community), providing students with access to technology, equipment, materials, curriculum, and resources designed to make learning tangible, creative, and connected to the world beyond the classroom.
The timing is intentional. Middle school is a critical period for career exploration: students are beginning to recognize their strengths and interests, but many have had little opportunity to experience what careers in manufacturing, engineering, technology, and the trades actually involve. The stem+M program gives them that opportunity before they begin making high school course selections. Through collaborative, project-based experiences, students can explore six areas: Tools and Measurement, Engineering and Design, Additive and Subtractive, Materials and Processes, Automation, and Structural Science. Along the way, they develop problem-solving, teamwork, design, and technical skills while discovering the types of learning that excite them.
“Reaching students in middle school gives us an important opportunity to spark curiosity and introduce them to careers they may not yet know exist,” said Allison Heider, stem+M president. “Biddeford and Saco stood out because of their shared commitment to expanding career exploration and creating meaningful pathways for students from middle school into high school, career and technical education, and ultimately the workforce. These stem+M labs allow students to learn by doing, to create, problem-solve, and discover their own strengths while building skills that connect directly to high-demand careers. We are proud to invest in these two communities and help inspire the next generation of innovators, makers, and skilled professionals.”
Through the stem+M program, middle school students will have the opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and put it into action. Integrated into each school's Unified Arts program and offered to seventh-grade students in Biddeford and seventh- and eighth-grade students in Saco, the program provides a semester-long, hands-on, project-based experience in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and manufacturing, with students designing, building, testing, and refining solutions to real-world challenges. Projects include CNC Machining, Robotics, Electronics, 3D Printing, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) work, Research & Design, and Creative Composites, giving students the chance to work with advanced tools and technologies while developing creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and technical skills. The stem+M experience will build on and complement each school’s existing science, technology, and Unified Arts programming, creating new connections between subjects and helping students see how what they learn can be applied beyond the classroom.
“We are incredibly grateful for this investment in the students of both Biddeford and Saco,” said Jeremy Ray, Superintendent of Biddeford and Saco School Departments. “What excites me most is that these labs give students the chance to discover what they are good at by actually doing the work, whether that is designing, building, measuring, creating, or solving problems. A student may walk into one of these labs having never considered manufacturing, engineering, or a skilled trade and walk out having discovered something that changes the direction of their education. We are extremely grateful to the U.S. Navy, Department of War for recognizing the value of giving students these opportunities early and for making this level of investment in both of our communities.”
For Biddeford and Saco students, stem+M can also be the first step in a much longer educational and career pathway. An interest sparked in middle school can help students make more purposeful choices as they enter high school and can eventually lead to further career and technical education opportunities through the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT). The goal is to create a clear continuum for students. They can explore interests in middle school, build skills and make informed choices in high school, pursue specialized career and technical education, and ultimately move into college, apprenticeships, additional training, or the workforce with greater confidence and direction.
Early exposure is particularly valuable, as it helps students learn about careers they might not otherwise encounter. The stem+M curriculum introduces potential pathways connected to machining, industrial fabrication, automation, engineering, advanced manufacturing, structural science, and other technical fields. Students can begin to understand not only what these careers are, but also that the skills they are developing in the classroom have real-world applications and can lead to rewarding careers.
The new stem+M labs represent much more than new equipment or another course offering. They expand what career exploration can look like for middle school students and provide another avenue for young people to discover where their talents and interests may take them. Whether a student ultimately chooses a technical trade, engineering, college, an apprenticeship, or an entirely different direction, Biddeford and Saco schools want students to have meaningful experiences early enough to recognize their strengths, discover their passions, and see the possibilities ahead.
An official ribbon-cutting celebrating the completion of the stem+M labs at both schools will take place in early 2027. The event will include tours of the new learning spaces and an opportunity to see firsthand how the labs are creating new possibilities for students. Additional details will be announced as the event approaches.
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