On March 5, over 50 seventhgrade students and their teachers from Colonial Beach Public Schools participated in an immersive day of STEM learning at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Dahlgren Campus.

The experience was part of UMW Dahlgren’s Project IGNITE, an innovative program designed to expand access to hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for regional students.

The visit marked the first group of students and teachers to benefit from the program’s expansion, made possible through a generous grant from the Community Foundation for the Rappahannock River Region’s Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund.

UMW Dahlgren serves as a hub for innovation, research, and workforce development in the region. The campus connects education, industry, and government partners to advance STEM education, support career and technical training, and foster technological innovation that benefits the regional economy. The grant provided funding to purchase advanced technology, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) equipment, to expand the UMW Dahlgren’s existing makerspace.

During the visit, students and teachers gained hands-on access to cutting-edge technology that amplified classroom curriculum and deepened experiential learning while showcasing real-world career applications in STEM and technical fields.

“Providing our students with opportunities to explore emerging technologies and career pathways is critical to preparing them for the future,” said Michele Coates, Principal of Colonial Beach Elementary School. “Experiences like this allow our students to see how the concepts they learn in class connect to real-world innovation and career possibilities.”

Project IGNITE is an expansion and enhancement of innovation efforts at the UMW Dahlgren Campus. Through the program, the university partners directly with teachers, school systems, and industry leaders to deliver highly effective STEM and CTE career exposure programming that leverage makerspaces, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality technologies to create immersive learning environments. By integrating technologies into learning experiences, the program helps deepen understanding and creates equitable access to advanced educational tools for rural and non-rural students alike and giving students early exposure to high-demand career fields.

“Project IGNITE represents an important investment in the future workforce of our region,” said Dr. Michael Hubbard, Executive Director of the UMW Dahlgren Campus. “By connecting students with emerging technologies and real-world applications, we are helping them envision career pathways and equipping them with skills that will benefit both their futures and our regional economy.”

Seventh- grade Student Government Association President, Ayla Czako, shared enthusiasm about the experience, saying, “It was really exciting to try technology like virtual reality and robotics. It made learning feel real, and it helped me see how the things we study in school could turn into actual careers someday.”