Two summers ago, a group of four Wareham Middle School seventh grade teachers attended some teaching workshops at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. On their rides back and forth, the four would discuss ways to get students more engaged in their lessons.

One of the ideas was to build a cranberry bog at the schools. They envisioned using the bog to teach across the curriculum — they’d cover the science behind growing the bog, the technology that goes into harvesting the berries, the engineering behind the industry's machines, the marketing of the berries, the business behind selling their products, and so forth.

Little did they know that about two years later, the bog idea would be close to being put into action, and the cross-curriculum program they discussed would be implemented within the school.

Starting in September, a group of 86 students have taken part in the first ever STEAM Academy at the school, which takes student out of their normal classes and puts them into a program where teachers take a wide-ranging topic, such as cranberries, and teach about it from each of the science, technology and engineering, arts and humanities, and mathematics perspectives.

“We met with administrators and then with the School Committee. We got their approval, and then gathered up the funding,” said technology and engineering teacher Julie Walker, one of the four behind the Academy, which includes science teacher Sue Taber, arts and humanities teacher Janice Barton, and math teacher Bonnie Lasorsa.

Walker said that initially, they didn’t think they’d have the funds to do all things they wanted to do with the program. But after applying for several grants, they were able to secure over $50,000 to go towards things like the bog, a 3D printer, computer-aided design (CAD) software, a weather station, robots, field trips, guest speakers, and more. Walker said that help with grant-writing was provided by the Office of Beyond School Time.

So far this year, students have learned about the cranberry industry, invented products, studied sustainability, created apps, written resumes, learned sales techniques, and more, all from their four teachers across all the different subject areas.

“They’re going to create an actual business,” said Walker, regarding the students eco-products, or environmentally friendly products, which they will present at the end of the school year.

Walker said that the STEAM Academy has been beneficial to the students because it keeps them focused on one topic at a time (in all of their non-elective classes).

“They like seeing the connection in each class,” said Walker. “It’s a unique concept.”

Grants from places A.D. Makepeace (CAD, 3D printer), the Cranberry Education Foundation (the bog), Cape Cod Five (the weather station), the Finch Robotic Program (robots), Bristol Community College, and others have helped make the program financially feasible.

“We were fortunate enough to get the grants we applied for,” said Barton.

The teachers' hope is to extend the program, which students must apply for, into the eighth grade for next year, and in the following year, to the sixth and ninth grades.

“It’s a really good opportunity, and I think the students know it,” said Walker.

So far, most of the students have enjoyed their time in the STEAM Academy -- especially the increased number of field trips -- but there have been other benefits, as well.

"We have the opportunity to express our thoughts and ideas," said seventh grader Jonah DePina, adding that he hopes to continue on with STEAM in the eighth grade.

"In STEAM, we get to do more hands-on activities," said student Angel Hernandez. "A lot of my friends are also in the class, and we get to work together a lot."

“I’ve seen a lot of change in the kids,” said Taber. “I think they’ve demonstrated some growth.”

And as for the bog, which will be located behind the middle school, teachers expect to get it started in the spring, with the help of the STEAM Academy students, of course.

“They’re so excited about building the bog,” said Barton.