Minneapolis, MN
One click to help Minneapolis STEM school win Esports classroom
Mpls teacher a finalist for classroom makeover
Minneapolis teacher a finalist for classroom makeover competition, as Hall STEM Academy is hoping to win a Wisconsin company’s contest to earn $40,000 in new furniture.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Esports craze could soon reach a budget-constrained Minneapolis elementary school, with the help of a click of your finger.
“So this is where the magic happens,” said Hall STEM Academy physical education teacher Rachel Stewart.
Magic in sports
Hula-hoops and tennis rackets are magicians’ tools in Stewart’s gym class.
Dig deeper into her class closet, and you’ll find pickleball equipment — the first sign that this isn’t the same P.E. class from a generation ago.
“My goal for our kids is to expose them to the things that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to,” Stewart said.
Most students, 92%, at Hall come from low-income families, but they have cross-country skis ready for winter, and bikes to ride all year.
Pedaling towards success
Stewart is getting elementary school students ready to push for brighter futures.
“She’s always been about the kids, always been about how do we provide amazing opportunities for our students,” said Jesse Ross, a community partner to the school.
Her next innovation could move P.E. to a computer lab, but only if she wins a Wisconsin furniture company’s giveaway.
If you take the school’s old, unused computer lab, and you add $40,000 worth of new furniture, what you get is a state-of-the-art Esports classroom.
Why Esports?
Esports is a billion-dollar-a-year industry with a high barrier to entry because it often requires fairly expensive equipment.
“That’s the benefit of the Esports classroom because it evens the playing ground, and it gives all kids a chance to be leaders and to be successful,” Stewart said.
And not just in gaming.
Stewart is hoping to connect the P.E. class with some of the STEM lessons, so kids can see the connection between coding and game design.
Creative finances
But with Minneapolis public school budgets shrinking this year, the school had to get creative to find funding.
“If we have challenges, and we have barriers, whether it’s financial or otherwise, we still believe in the purpose of providing the best education for our students,” said Hall STEM Academy principal Sherrill Lindsey. “And so we are constantly trying to find other resources.”
Stewart’s design was picked as one of 12 finalists out of more than 500 from teachers across the country.
How to help
You can help Hall make this dream a reality by casting your vote in the contest here.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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