As we begin to close the school year, I can reflect on the impact that I have seen on my students during my first year participating in the ARI grant program. The unit, Engineering Excellence: Innovation for All!, has inspired me to continue the pathway of problem-based learning and STEM education strategies in my classroom. This initial unit challenged my students to create or improve upon an invention to help someone with a disability. Thanks to the collaboration with my fellow STEM Fellow, Amy Carter, we were able to provide our fifth grade students with the choice of building a prototype using the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics kit or using the Maker-Bot Mini 3-D printer. The results of the unit were well beyond anything we originally imagined. Along with the implementation of new technology, students developed writing and speaking skills that are necessary to the education process. They presented their ideas in an “Inventions Expo” to groups of teachers, students, and invited guests. Mrs. Carter and I received such positive feedback from the projects, and our students had the chance to truly practice the NGSS engineering standards from ideate to prototype to presentation. I truly believe that it is an experience they will not easily forget, along with the intangible outcomes of developing empathy for others and the overall creative process. I appreciate all the support we received from KVEC and the Appalachian Renaissance Initiative, and look forward to continue working through this program to enhance the learning experience for all my students as they prepare for to transition to the next levels of their education.