Eighth-grade students in Indian Prairie School District 204 may find themselves in “Flight and Space” next year, if the school board approves a new course proposal from administrators.
Brian Giovanini, director of innovation, said the new option is among two proposed changes to middle school classes for the 2026-27 year. One of the changes would replace a course called Energy and the Environment, from the Project Lead the Way engineering program, with an updated Project Lead the Way class called Flight and Space.
The other idea would move the seventh-grade study skills class down to sixth grade and give seventh-graders the option to take electives, including a new Design and Discovery course.
School board members asked a few questions and expressed excitement about the potential offerings during initial discussions at a recent board meeting.
“It sounds like these are worthy upgrades for these courses,” school board President Laurie Donahue said. “I think the flight one will generate a lot of excitement — just the title itself.”
Flight and Space
Tied into trending topics including drone technology and space exploration, the Flight and Space course is an option that’s already piquing student interest, Giovanini said.
Administrators surveyed a group of seventh- and eighth-grade students about their preference for a potential replacement to the Energy and the Environment course, in an attempt to incorporate student voice. Results showed roughly 40% supported Flight and Space over other options, including Magic of Electrons and Green Architecture.
Giovanini said Energy and the Environment has been in the district for a decade and is time-consuming to keep updated, especially because Project Lead the Way has not recently refreshed the curriculum.
If approved, Flight and Space would be an engineering-focused class for eighth graders that could lead into the engineering tech classes available to high school freshmen. It’s described as a chance to “design, prototype and test models to learn about the science of flight,” then, “solve real-world aviation and space challenges and plan a mission to Mars.”
Design and Discovery
Instead of a quarter-long study skills class, seventh-grade students could have the option of a semester-long Design and Discovery elective, if the new class gains approval.
Giovanini said Design and Discovery would incorporate study skills — such as time management, organization, executive functioning, project management and test preparation — while allowing students to explore intriguing careers and questions.
“We’re able to embed additional opportunities like entrepreneurship and design thinking to allow them to solve problems that are interesting to them and explore different careers,” Giovanini said.
Offering the class for a semester instead of a quarter would also simplify scheduling and space allocations at the middle schools.
Next steps for new course ideas
Materials for the proposed Flight and Space course would cost $23,400. Developing the curriculum and resources for Design and Discovery would cost $35,000 a year, Giovanini said.
The new courses are expected to be up for approval during the school board’s next meeting on Jan. 12. Associated costs and related purchases may come to the board later in the spring.
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