UK began negotiations with Fayette County Public Schools to move the STEAM Academy — a collaboration between high schools and UK faculty, graduate and undergraduate students — on or near the university’s campus.

According to UKNow, the STEAM Academy, which allows high schoolers to take classes taught by UK staff and students, possibly for college credit, is currently located on East Sixth Street.

The long-term plan, Eric Monday told UKNow, is to move the academy onto campus in a building to be constructed by the public school district.

The most likely location is behind the College of Education, located in the Taylor Education Building.

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The academy opened in August of 2013, according to the Fayette County Public Schools brochure, with a class of 150 participants.

The brochure stated that the academy would increase the class size by 150 students every year until 2016.

Admission to the academy was selected by a random lottery draw of applicants, according to the brochure.

According to UKNow, the program was initially funded by Next Generation Learning Challenges, which provides grants to fund learning technologies. College of Education students will become involved with the classes taught in the STEAM Academy.

No specific date has been set for the selection of a location for the STEAM Academy or construction, according to UKNow.

Staff Report