STEM and the North Carolina New Schools: A Natural Fit
North Carolina New Schools works to create and transform schools that graduate students who are prepared for college, careers and life. Increasingly, the world that these young people inherit will be focused on STEM-related fields. STEM education is a natural extension of the organization's mission.
North Carolina New Schools' STEM-related efforts work:
- To establish secondary schools that immerse students in the STEM disciplines while following the same course of study required of all N.C. high schools.
- To infuse the guiding principles of many STEM fields --a spirit of inquiry, real-world project-based inquiry, design and analytical thinking -- across the curriculum at all North Carolina New Schools-affiliated schools.
Vision
North Carolina New Schools' vision for STEM-focused innovation calls for schools that provide the tools and space for exploration and invention and that foster a culture of inquiry among students and teachers. STEM curriculum emphasizes connections in the fields of math and science, meaningfully integrates technology, and introduces and engages students in the engineering design process. The arts and humanities further support the STEM focus, and all courses highlight the role of STEM in our global society.
STEM schools value and cultivate creativity and develop the problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills that drive innovation. Extracurricular activities, summer programs, virtual opportunities, and internships provide learning experiences that increase students' awareness of and interest in STEM and its importance in sustaining and improving our lives.
In addition to typical measures of achievement, STEM indicators of success include student excitement about coming to school, enthusiasm for learning, and a passionate interest in the world. Student show confidence and perseverance when faced with a challenge. They can gather and analyze relevant information and synthesize knowledge and skills to solve real problems in thoughtful and ethical ways.
STEM as a School Theme
Developing a drought- and pest-resistant corn variety to help end world hunger. Helping Third-World villagers access clean water. Designing the next Mars exploration vehicle. These are not just pie-in-the sky dreams. They're actual challenges that many students in our current and future STEM-themed schools will work on, both in and out of the classroom.
Since 2007, North Carolina New Schools has helped school districts in North Carolina, from the most rural corner of the state to our urban centers, create nearly 20 high schools that have STEM themes. These schools build on the state's standard course of study but emphasize the STEM disciplines more robustly through electives, extracurricular activities, job shadowing and internship opportunities, and culture. Students in these schools are more engaged and motivated than their peers in traditional high schools, and graduate ready for a STEM major in a four-year college or two-year vocational program. In fact, statistics show that on all leading indicators of academic rigor and performance, North Carolina New Schools-affiliated schools perform better than traditional schools.
