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South Fayette Students Examine Electricity's Impact With New Project

SOUTH FAYETTE (KDKA) -- One group of fourth graders constructs a cardboard supermarket. Another turns a pair of tissue boxes into a library.

The students at South Fayette Intermediate School are shedding some light on electricity, and its impact on a community.

It's all part of the STEAM program: science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. STEAM coordinator Stephanie DeLuca says students are putting their knowledge to work.

"In their science classes, they were learning about electricity, they were building circuits, things like that," said DeLuca. "So we decided to take it one step further, and light up a community. The kids brainstormed buildings in the community that use electricity, and built them. And after that, they lit them up using robotics."

The junior architects rely mostly on recycled products.

"Our project is a cafe, and it's shaped like a coffee pot," says fourth grader Olivia Ford.

"This is a barn, with a windmill and an apple orchard, and a little fenced in area for animals," says her classmate, Gianna Maniteck.

"This is the South Fayette Library," adds Julianna Rossi. "We made it shaped as a book. And this is the children's theater, where children can perform a book that they've read.

Community members were invited to share their ideas. Bridgeville coffee shop owner Debbie Massetti was impressed by the coffee pot cafe.

"They incorporated the lights into the coffee shop and just made it bright, and just really welcoming. It was a great idea," she said.

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