A group of students huddles around their project: a motor, popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Their goal? Build a car. But there are no step-by-step instructions. No safety net.
“They need to figure it out,” explains their instructor, John Lui. “Some kids get this mind block: ‘If I fail, it’s terrible.’ But in STEM, you need to fail. It’s how they develop critical thinking skills.”
That’s the core of the ERA Program, which Lui directs. Short for “engineering, robotics and aviation,” this elective-based option is woven into grades 6-12 at St. John’s Northwestern Academies, a private coed prep and boarding school in Delafield, Wisconsin.
From 3D printing campus maps to piloting drones, students get hands-on STEM experience.
“Five, six, seven years from now, there’ll be careers that you never thought of,” Lui says. “We are preparing these kids for jobs that aren’t yet available.”
Grounding in engineering and robotics
It starts with sixth graders and up learning about coding. Eighth graders can then take dedicated STEM classes. And, in 2024, Lui launched two basic engineering courses for high schoolers.
“It’s about developing their exploration,” says Lui, a former microbiologist who’s taught STEM for 25 years. “For me, it’s personal, too. My son’s an engineer. As a parent, I want to help guide my students — and, as their teacher, prepare them.” Hands-on experience plays a big role.
- “We have a makerspace that lets the kids use their creativity,” Lui says, from custom LED-electrified lights for their dorms to personalized 3D-printed frames.
- Students build, design and troubleshoot their own projects, like Arduino-controlled devices and robotics.
- 2025 also marks SJNA’s first-ever robotics competition, where students will compete in VEX V5 Robotics.
These lessons tie into other subjects, too — such as learning about the history of WWII. “So they 3D printed a map of Pearl Harbor,” says Lui, “complete with the Battleship Arizona.”
Hands-on learning with drones and aviation
Aviation is still about planes — but drones are gaining airspace. “Next time you go to a sporting event, look up,” Lui says. “Drones are also monitoring different areas, like farm fields.”
At SJNA, students can focus on both drone operations and essential pilot skills.
- Dedicated drone program: Teens can earn a commercial drone pilot license, learning skills from creating drone tech to using it to take aerial photos and video. “That’s a unique opportunity in high school,” Lui says.
- Career-ready skills: Drones are used in agriculture, media, security and even military applications.
- Hands-on flight training: For traditional piloting, students log actual flight hours at the Watertown Municipal Airport toward their private pilot’s license.
- State-of-the-art simulator: A full-scale flight simulator is in development, built with help from Air Force alumni from the school. “A kid can actually physically sit in that simulator and log hours towards their pilot license,” Lui says.
- Drone racing club: This program is expanding to include competitive drone racing in 2025.
Exploring cybersecurity
Students also get up-close with how easily hackers can access private information. “They just need your date of birth and full name, and they have your medical records,” Lui says. The ERA program prepares them for these challenges with:
- Hands-on cybersecurity training
- Industry certifications
- Real-world simulations of cyber threats
Kids learn how to protect sensitive digital details and defend against security risks before they enter the workforce.
What else is new for ERA in 2025-26
Next year, teens will be sending mini square-shaped satellites into space. “We’re going to expand and offer aeronautics,” Lui says. “Kids design their own little ‘CubeSats,’ and, if it’s approved, NASA allows you to put it on one of their rockets.” Watch for:
- A new aeronautics and space class. Students will design and test gliders, rockets and CubeSat experiments.
- More robotics and drone competitions.
- A capstone class. Juniors and seniors will research and create their own passion projects. Their focus, Lui says, is, “What’s your problem? And what are you going to build or design to solve it?”
The ERA Program by the numbers
- 12 students per class for hands-on learning
- 2 drone certification levels
- 3 years of flight training available
- 6th graders and up can explore coding and robotics
- 8th graders opt into STEM courses
- 9th-12th graders choose from engineering, aviation, drone classes, cybersecurity, aeronautics/space (in 2025-26) and a capstone project for seniors.
“Sometimes kids may not even get these experiences in a technical college,” Lui says. “We’re preparing them and showing them what’s possible.”
This content is sponsored by St. John’s Northwestern Academies in Delafield, Wisconsin. Learn more about its engineering, robotics and aviation offerings at its ERA Program website.
