What It Means for Our Lady of Grace Catholic School to be STEM Certified

You’ve probably heard the acronym STEM used when people talk about education these days. But do you really know what STEM education is all about and why it’s important to become a STEM certified school?


What Is STEM?
 
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is an educational program that prepares elementary and secondary students for college and graduate study in these fields. The thinking is, eventually, these students will use these skills in their real-life careers as they become tomorrow’s leaders. 
 
However, instead of teaching these subjects separately, STEM integrates them together using an interdisciplinary approach based on real-world applications. Through hands-on lessons, students are given the opportunity to apply STEM concepts and see how they relate to life. This educational process makes STEM subjects fun and much more interesting to learn than through traditional methods of reading, lecture, and memorization.   
 
Why Is It Important to Be a STEM Certified School?
 
Over the last 10 years, some of the fastest growing and best paid jobs are in STEM-related fields. Additionally, the National Science Foundation projects that 80% of the jobs available during the next decade will require math and science skills. Unfortunately, U.S. students have fallen behind other industrialized countries when it comes to STEM-related subjects. Per testing results, only 45% of high school graduates are ready for college-level math courses, while just 30% are prepared for post-secondary science. Those statistics mean fewer students are majoring in fields that require a lot of math and science. Without STEM-degree graduates, the U.S. will face a shortage of skilled workers in these fields in the not-so-distant future, making it more difficult for the U.S. to stay on the cutting edge of science and technology throughout the 21 ^st century. Therefore, for the U.S. to remain competitive, STEM is essential in our education system.
 
To prepare Indiana students for careers in STEM-related fields, the Indiana Department of Education has developed a STEM certification process. A STEM designation means the school, or a program within a school, demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality STEM programs. A STEM certified school uses a non-traditional approach to education by employing inquiry and project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, integration into humanities and related arts, and out-of-school STEM opportunities. To accomplish this, STEM certified schools must follow educational policies set by the state and excel under the system of accountability.
 


STREAM Education Important at OLGCS
 
At Our Lady of Grace Catholic School (OLGCS), preschool through 8 ^th grade students are exposed to STEM educational approaches, which are incorporated into our teachers’ daily curriculum. Children as young as 3 years old learn to work with authentic tools. Once a student reaches the intermediate grades, they advance on to power tool use. Through the EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) program, our 8 ^th graders can work alongside Purdue University students and staff on real-life engineering projects that better serve our community.
 
In addition to STEM courses, OLGCS also includes religion and the arts in its core educational approach. This integrated approach is known as STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Arts, and Math). At OLGCS, faith is the foundation in everything we do. Therefore, we integrate Catholic identity into every aspect of our curriculum. We also provide a challenging learning environment focused on science, technology, math, arts, and faith based on the doctrinal precepts of church teaching. And, we foster an environment that encourages problem solving, group collaboration, and independent research.
 
In addition to our faith-based foundation, OLGCS is a forward-thinking institution that places great value in preparing our students with 21 ^st century skills to meet future career demands. For this reason, OLGCS is currently pursuing STEM certification.
 
At OLGCS, we are creating tomorrow’s movers and shakers in STEM fields today. To learn more about our STREAM program, contact us at 317-770-5660 or at [email protected].
 
- Elaine of the Our Lady of Grace Catholic School Blog Team