Neighborhood Academy Opens STEM Innovation Wing
The Fleischner Family Innovation Wing and its STEM Suite were unveiled at the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Neighborhood Academy in Stanton Heights unveiled the Fleischner Family Innovation Wing, which includes a STEM Suite, at the start of the 2026-27 school year. The space is used by middle and high school students to build skills in science, technology, engineering and math.
Why it matters
The new facility gives Pittsburgh-area students dedicated space for hands-on science, technology, engineering and math work. It reflects the school's focus on preparing future leaders since it opened in 2001.
The Neighborhood Academy has operated since 2001. Enrollment size and the cost of the Fleischner Family Innovation Wing were not disclosed in the available information.
The players
The Neighborhood Academy
A Stanton Heights school that opened in 2001 with a focus on preparing future leaders.
Howmet Aerospace Foundation
The philanthropic arm of Howmet Aerospace, which supports education initiatives and is a benefactor of The Neighborhood Academy.
The details
Students use the STEM Suite for classroom lab time and research projects that culminate in an end-of-year STEM Fair. Howmet Aerospace Foundation, a benefactor of the school, supported the vision for the new space, and the opening was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Timeline
2001: The Neighborhood Academy opens.
Start of the 2026-27 school year: Fleischner Family Innovation Wing and STEM Suite unveiled at a ribbon-cutting.
End of the school year: Annual STEM Fair features student research projects.
Culture Shift
Corporate foundations in the Pittsburgh region have increasingly funded dedicated science and engineering spaces in local schools rather than general campus budgets. This opening follows that pattern, placing a STEM-focused facility inside a neighborhood secondary school.
Students at the Neighborhood Academy now have access to a dedicated STEM Suite for lab time and research projects. Families in Pittsburgh considering secondary schools can see this as an example of hands-on science and engineering resources available in the area.
The takeaway
Hands-on lab space and research projects give students practical experience in science, technology, engineering and math. Parents and students comparing secondary schools can ask about similar facilities and end-of-year project showcases.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education in Pittsburgh to see how local schools are expanding hands-on learning.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pittsburgh's Action News 4.
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