Five years ago, the STEAM program was formed at Malone Middle School. They complete a number of big projects throughout the year, but their biggest project of the year is their "Grit Untapped Maple Syrup Project".  This student-run operation goes to work for three weeks each spring as their students produce, bottle, market, and sell maple syrup from the maple trees on campus. Students apply for positions of Boiling Crew, Media Marketing, Data Collection and Analysis, Newsroom, Candies and Confections, Drawing and Design, Research and Development/Field Office Investigations, and CEO and then are "hired" to work for the different divisions of Grit Untapped Maple Company. 

This is a huge, on-going student-run project. After working on this every spring for the last five school years, Mr. Rogers recognized the need to teach students the most professional practices that are the industry standard.  Many of his students finish this project and aspire to open an operation of their own or to go to work for one of the many existing large-scale sugaring operations in the area. Teaching them to produce the highest quality maple products will better prepare them for future employment and help them better appreciate the care required to produce all agricultural produces. 

In order to do this, Malone Middle School will use their Agricultural Literacy Grant to purchase a two-cone filter tank that will ensure their syrup is perfectly filtered, a simple reverse osmosis machine to increase production and save fuel, and digital thermometers and candy molds for the Candies and Confections division of their student-run business. These improvements will aid students in learning for years to come and will prepare them with multi-disciplinary real-world knowledge involving science, technology, art, ELA, Math and Social Studies.