Mars STEAM Wing on Track for 2025 Opening!

By Marion L. Couzens, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

Big changes are on the horizon as we prepare for the area between the science wing and the parking lot next to Schoolhouse to be remade into the Mars STEAM Wing, thanks to the transformative gift from Victoria Beth Mars 1974, Pamela Mars Wright 1978, Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003, and Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012. But first, plans must be finalized, permits obtained, and the site prepared before construction can begin.

This is an exciting time for the School as we create the spaces that will keep our STEAM programs innovative and creative for years to come. The following steps have been completed in preparation for the construction phase:

• The Board of Trustees and the Schoolhouse Steering Committee have worked with the architectural firm to turn their initial renderings of the building into concrete plans.

• The architectural firm has met with Foxcroft’s STEAM faculty and key School personnel for their input on what is needed in this building to continue to teach girls in the areas of science, technology, engineering, art, and math in the ways they learn best.

• A construction firm for the project has been engaged.

• Plans incorporating the information from the above-mentioned session will be finalized and submitted for permitting.

Once the permitting is received:

• The Schoolhouse parking lot will be torn out, and a new one built on the Post Lane side of Miss Charlotte’s Garden.

• Post Lane, which passes the Dining Hall, Miss Charlotte’s Garden, and the current parking lot, will be straightened to accommodate the new parking lot and provide space for deliveries to the Dining Hall and other buildings on that side of campus.

• The construction firm will secure the area around the Mars STEAM Wing location.

• Construction will begin!

As with other building projects on campus, the construction of the Mars STEAM Wing provides a learning opportunity. Embracing the axiom “everything we do is curriculum,” the School will offer a seminar that engages students in the construction process. Modeled after Project Green Build (Stuart Hall) and Project Rebuild (Court Welcome Center), this seminar will be called Project STEAM Build, and participating students will receive a certificate.

Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the months ahead, and log in to Vidigami for project photos once construction begins.

We have currently raised $29 million towards our campaign goal of $65 million. If you would like to make a gift to the Building for Our Future Campaign, please contact Marion L. Couzens, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, at campaign@foxcroft.org or 540.687.4510.