FONTANA, Calif. — From 3D printers and laser cutters to business plans, the Fontana Unified School District’s Innovation Empire is set to spark an interest in STEM and entrepreneurship among their students. Without white boards and located in a commercial plaza, the two separate rooms focusing on technology and business are not what one would expect out of a traditional classroom, but where students are gaining the skills needed to thrive once they graduate. 

The youngest grade levels, part of the Little Makers program, won’t use the machinery yet but will begin getting familiar with it. 

The hands-on approach also allows for students to engage with the material in a way that goes beyond the pages of a book. With roughly 34,000 students, 78% of which are socioeconomically disadvantaged, school leaders say an early interest in higher paying careers has the potential to turn the community around as these generations enter the labor market.