In November 2010, a small group of concerned and diverse citizens gathered to address a set of education challenges: 1) a deficit of knowledge workers for the 21^st century economy; 2) a wide disparity in offerings for highly able students across school divisions; and 3) limited student exposure to rich, integrated science, technology, engineering and applied mathematics curriculum early and continuously throughout their school career. What emerged was the design for the Virginia Science Technology Engineering and Applied Mathematics Academy (STEAM) Academy. The mission of the VA STEAM Academy is to nurture the next generations of creative, ethical, and imaginative STEAM leaders who understand and respect the humanities.