Newton’s Attic is about science. But it’s also so much more. Have you ever read the children’s book series Harold and the Purple Crayon? The illustrations and story are simple, but the premise is powerful. A little boy uses a purple crayon to draw adventures that come to life, and the reader gets to follow along as his imagination takes you to places unseen. What if you could give that purple crayon to someone? What if you could give a child the ability to create new worlds and follow their imagination? You can.

Newton’s Attic gives kids the power to use their imagination in new ways, the chance to see themselves as a scientist or engineer, the space to build confidence, and the skills to create. We let kids lead us on adventures while having fun and learning new things. This is a gift. We can only give this gift with your support. We rely on the generosity of others to provide critical STEM experiences to students in our community who need them most. The holidays are a time for gratitude, believing in things unseen, and for indulging in the excitement of childhood wonder. For Newton’s Attic, we are grateful to be able to provide a service needed by so many schools, parents, and kids.

With sincere thanks for your continued support,

Bill, Dawn, & the Newton’s Attic team

**As a reminder, you do not have to use our online donation site. You can mail donations to Newton’s Attic at 4974 Old Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40510. We will also send you a donation receipt.

In 2024 we……

• Volunteers: Over 60 volunteers joined us throughout the year, including engineers, engineering students, college professors, a software developer, a medical student, home school, high school and college students, a physical therapist, and many former Newton’s Attic students. Their skills not only enhanced our programs, but several of these volunteers have since become paid employees, proof of the strong, supportive network we’re building. We also had a volunteer from the Astronomy Department at the University of Kentucky, who spent quality time with our summer campers, providing invaluable instruction through his specialized solar telescope.

• Instructors: We were fortunate to hire 20 summer camp instructors, including 9 professional teachers, a college professor, a homeschool mom, and 7 engineering students (mechanical, mining, electrical, chemical, and aerospace), a doctoral candidate, and even a “Forged in Fire” star! Many of these instructors were former students themselves, which speaks to the lasting impact Newton’s Attic has on its community.

• STEM Day Camps: We kicked off a fantastic season of over 40 summer STEM day camps, filling 851 camp slots, reaching 442 unique students. It was gratifying to see so many returning and referred students, with parents continuously expressing their appreciation for the hands-on, high-quality STEM education we offer.

• STEM Field Trips: We had the pleasure of hosting over 70 STEM field trips for 57 different school groups representing X# of students, 7 Scout events, and 18 STEM birthday parties. We also took our programs off-site, bringing STEM activities to over 25 schools and other venues, broadening our reach and impact on hundreds of additional students.

• Internships: In partnership with two local Fayette County high schools, we hosted 8 interns, offering them a hands-on experience. These students worked closely with Newton’s Attic founder Bill Cloyd and other Newton’s Attic staff, gaining experience in the field.

• Community Contributions: For the 13th consecutive year, we were proud to donate our facility to the Fayette County FIRST Robotics team, providing them with a space to build their robots for competition.

• Improvements to our Aradyn Property: We made significant strides in developing our 170-acre property in Wolfe County, where we plan to resume outdoor engineering and field skills training programs. We’re excited to create more opportunities for hands-on learning in the future!

• Robot Gladiator League (RGL): We successfully completed Season I of Robot Gladiator League in the spring, with representatives from 8 Kentucky high school teams. The season included 4 melees and a state championship. We were thrilled to expand the league this fall for Season II. Season II has already grown to 16 teams from 13 Kentucky counties. We have 7 separate melees scheduled. Check out more at www.RGLhub.com!