The Crusader Innovation Lab – A Space for STEM, Arts, and Student Life
The Crusader Innovation Lab – A Space for STEM, Arts, and Student Life
- Sponsoring Organization: Lutheran North Middle & High School
- City/State: St. Louis, MO
- Grant Program: Emerging Leader Grants
- Grant Amount: $15,000
Leader Profile:
James Mitchell serves as Assistant Principal and Director of Athletics & Student Activities at Lutheran North Middle & High School in St. Louis, Missouri. A lifelong product of Lutheran education, he attended River Roads Lutheran School and later graduated from Lutheran North, experiences that shaped his faith, values, and passion for serving young people. Mitchell continued his academic and athletic career playing college basketball at Concordia College Alabama before transferring to Concordia University Wisconsin. Returning to Lutheran North has been a meaningful calling. Mitchell played a key role in launching the middle school program, supporting admissions, curriculum, student culture, and operations while teaching and coaching. He later stepped into a leadership role during a period of transition, deepening his commitment to servant leadership. Today, Mitchell oversees athletics, student activities, and school culture, coaches basketball, officiates high school and college games, and serves as Vice President of ATM Sports.
Project Summary:
Lutheran North Middle and High School plans to transform an underutilized, outdated room into a dynamic, multi-purpose innovation lab. The redesigned space will enhance STEM programs, expand broadcasting and media production capabilities, and create after-school opportunities—including a competitive e-sports team and student activity hub. The current space, though structurally sound and centrally located, has dim lighting, worn furniture, outdated flooring, and obsolete technology, making it uninviting and impractical for modern learning. The renovation will turn the room into a vibrant center of creativity, collaboration, and exploration, benefiting all 350 students daily. The upgraded lab will provide hands-on learning, foster teamwork, and serve as a hub for student innovation, while also inviting the broader community to engage with the school’s mission and witness the excitement of student growth and achievement.
