Decatur High Ability Academy
What STEM means at Decatur High Ability Academy
At Decatur High Ability Academy, we envision a future where gifted and advanced learners are empowered to think deeply, create boldly, and lead purposefully through rigorous STEM-centered experiences. Rooted in the MSD of Decatur Township mission of being Student Invested, Community Connected, DHAA is committed to cultivating an innovative learning environment where intellectual curiosity, creativity, and problem solving thrive. Through authentic, inquiry-driven learning opportunities, students will develop the knowledge, mindset, and leadership skills necessary to become Tomorrow Ready scholars prepared to make meaningful contributions in an ever-changing world.
At DHAA, we believe high ability learners flourish when learning is grounded in depth, complexity, and relevance. Our STEM and project-based learning framework challenges students to explore big ideas across disciplines while making meaningful connections between academic content and real-world issues. Students will investigate problems through the perspectives of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, historians, writers, designers, and researchers, engaging in collaborative experiences that encourage innovation, analytical thinking, and imaginative exploration. Through opportunities for storytelling, research, design thinking, debate, artistic expression, and problem solving, students will develop the confidence to communicate ideas, challenge assumptions, and pursue creative solutions.
Guided by Decatur Township’s core values of Respect, Teamwork, and Excellence, DHAA will foster a culture where gifted learners feel challenged, supported, and inspired to maximize their potential. Students will engage in learning experiences that strengthen durable skills such as collaboration, adaptability, resilience, communication, and leadership while encouraging them to explore personal passions and emerging career pathways. By embracing multiple perspectives and engaging in authentic learning tasks, students will grow as empathetic thinkers and responsible innovators capable of impacting their communities and the broader world.
As a regional program serving high ability students from across central Indiana, Decatur High Ability Academy will serve as a hub for advanced STEM learning, interdisciplinary exploration, and future-focused education. Through partnerships with families, educators, community organizations, and industry leaders, students will connect their learning to meaningful experiences that inspire purpose and possibility. DHAA students will leave prepared not only for academic success, but also to become visionary problem solvers, ethical leaders, and lifelong learners who are equipped to shape the future.
What makes our STEM program stand out
Inspiring Future Innovators Through STARBASE
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Decatur Township elementary students participate in immersive, hands-on STEM learning experiences through the district’s partnership with STARBASE Indianapolis. Students engage in engineering design challenges, molecular modeling, scientific investigations, CAD activities, and collaborative problem-solving experiences that bring science, technology, engineering, and math to life in meaningful ways.
This partnership helps students build creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, and confidence while connecting classroom learning to real-world applications. Through engaging STEM opportunities, Decatur Township is inspiring curiosity and preparing students with the durable skills needed for future success in school, careers, and beyond.
Cross-Curricular STEAM
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All students are engaged in STEAM experiences that connect science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through hands-on, cross-curricular learning. Students explore scientific concepts through creative design, build prototypes using a variety of tools and materials, investigate real-world problems through experimentation and data collection, and develop technology skills through collaborative projects.
These experiences encourage creativity, communication, critical thinking, and innovation while helping students make meaningful connections across subjects. By integrating the arts alongside STEM learning, Decatur Township empowers students to explore, create, and problem-solve in ways that prepare them for future success both inside and outside the classroom.
Rube Goldberg Engineering
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Students at Decatur High Ability Academy engage in hands-on STEM learning through collaborative Rube Goldberg engineering challenges that encourage creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Working together in teams, students design and build complex chain reaction systems using the engineering design process to accomplish a specific task through a series of connected steps.
These immersive STEM experiences help students strengthen critical thinking, teamwork, perseverance, and communication skills while applying real-world concepts in engineering, physics, and design. Through opportunities like the annual Rube Goldberg challenge, Decatur High Ability Academy empowers students to think creatively, take risks, and develop solutions through meaningful, student-driven learning experiences.
Decatur High Ability Academy is part of MSD Decatur Township, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school serves approximately 103 students in 3rd through 6th grade, providing advanced learning opportunities in a collaborative and student-centered environment. Decatur High Ability Academy is committed to fostering critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and academic excellence while empowering students to explore their interests, solve complex problems, and thrive as engaged learners.