The journey of Mableton’s STEAM program began in the fall of 2012 as a grassroots effort of teachers, parents, administrators and district personnel who recognized the need to bring a program to a Title I school in south Cobb that would be so innovative and revolutionary that it would make a significant impact on students and our community.  The teachers were intrigued at the promise that STEAM could bring to their own teaching repertoire and the long-lasting impact it could have on their students.  A committee was formed, and they began to actively conduct research and visit other STEAM schools to gain understanding and to build a foundation of a STEAM philosophy.  Meanwhile, teachers at every grade level were searching for STEAM lessons and research, trying to gain an understanding of what it all meant.   The committee began to create a plan as to how STEAM would look at Mableton, and with staff input, developed a vision: “fostering the next generation of leaders to meet the challenges of a global society through innovation, collaboration, and creative problem solving.”  This STEAM vision then brought about an atmosphere of learning that was rigorous, relevant and founded on problem solving, discovery, and collaboration.  Instead of being a bottom-up approach, the STEAM initiative was growing top-down, motivating students to learn through direct interaction and immersion.