Upper School STEM Projects

The Nancy C. Sawin Math/Science Building

When it opened in 1969, the Nancy C. Sawin Math/Science Building was celebrated as an architectural gem and a state-of-the-art center for math and science. This 55-year-old building served Sanford well but was outdated, leading to many facility challenges.

We invite you to invest in our faculty and students with a campaign gift that will help fund the significant renovations to this building that began in the summer of 2024 and will be completed during the summer of 2025.

The 2024 renovations have already brought new life to the Math/Science Building, improving learning environments and creating new opportunities for faculty to expand our STEM curriculum.

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Math/Science Project:

The following is a list of projects to be completed as part of this project:

reconfigure classrooms to improve the use of space and curriculum needs (an additional lab added to the Science Floor)
add bathrooms to the second floor (Math Floor)
increase the number of collaborative and community spaces in lobby areas
update lab equipment and classroom furniture, including 28 new whiteboards, to increase active learning
replace all windows, doors, flooring, and electrical systems
update plumbing and HVAC systems
expand access to outdoor learning
create a new entrance and patio area
re-grade exterior sections of the building, add drainage pipes and a French drain, and waterproof exterior
new solar roof

Project Cost: $3 million

Before / After Phase 1

Project Outcomes:

STEM learning environments will be improved with the addition of a new physics classroom in Pirnie Hall, as well as extensive renovations in the Math/Science Building. When the projects are complete, we intend to:

increase the number of upper school STEM offerings by offering new courses that are both inside and outside of a traditional high school program. These may include AP Psychology, AP Research, Zoology, Marine Science, Organic Chemistry, Ecology. Neuroscience, Genetics, Linear Algebra, Advanced Programming, or an expansion of our data science offerings;
increase the number of opportunities for hands-on lab work in our lab-based science classes, as well as opportunities for authentic student-developed research.
increase active learning in math classrooms via Peter Liljedahl's "Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics" methodology.
increase community building and satisfaction rates related to the Math/Science facility.

Pirnie Hall Project

In 2015, the Sanford community gathered to celebrate the opening of Pirnie Hall's new STEM Lab, one of the capital projects made possible by the Front & Center Campaign. The Exceptionally Sanford Campaign includes the creation of a second STEM classroom in Pirnie Hall (photo shown above). This classroom was completed in the spring of 2024 and was one of the first projects on the campaign timeline.