The University of Texas of the Permian Basin STEM Academy added grades, students and a new building to start the school year. The 20,000-square foot expansion adds an extra classroom per grade level along with offices, cafeteria, restrooms, and a teacher’s lounge. Student capacity increased from 308 to nearly 600 students. The new expansion buildings will house the STEM Academy’s fifth through eighth grade students.
DeSoto, Texas based Palomar Modular Buildings was awarded the UTPB STEM Academy expansion construction project. The expected completion date was set for the start of the school year in order for the STEM Academy to utilize the building for incoming students. The quick construction advantage of modular construction allowed Palomar to complete the 20,000-square foot project in 16 weeks. Palomar built the modular buildings in the company’s manufacturing facility in DeSoto, Texas. A total of 23 pre-fabricated modules were shipped from the Dallas-area manufacturing facility to the UTPB campus in Odessa, Texas for final assembly. The buildings feature heavy duty high traffic doors, durable and low maintenance floor and wall coverings, and motion light sensors.
The UTPB STEM Academy is dedicated to implementing the newest and most promising practices in education with an emphasis in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The foundational belief is that learning should be both engaging and social. Students work collaboratively on challenging curriculum, which in turn, enables them to experience engaging learning opportunities in order to develop conceptual knowledge and depth through project based learning (PBL).