LATEST NEWS & INFO Category: STEM schools

Good things are happening fast at Chase STEMM Academy. The K-8 building in the Toledo Public district earned an overall grade of “B” on its latest School Report Card from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), after logging an “F” in 2015. Chase also has received statewide honors, being named an Ohio School to Watch by ODE and earning the department’s Momentum Award. How has the urban school come so far so quickly? We asked principal Jack Hunter about the […]

The Ohio STEM Learning Network collaborates with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to support the STEM/STEAM school designation process.  STE(A)M designation is written into Ohio law, and the law defines the contents of the applications for STE(A)M school designation. Periodically, the Ohio STEM Learning Network and ODE make clarifications to the application process, including updating the application itself. A new STE(A)M designation application was approved by the Ohio STEM Committee, the group of policymakers, agency directors, and business leaders […]

In 2016, Battelle began operating the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) under an agreement with the National Science Foundation. NEON provides open, standardized ecological data from across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Now, to challenge educators to use NEON data in their K-12 STEM programming, Battelle has announced the Battelle NEON STEM Grant. Educators can submit grant proposals for lessons that would use NEON data for topics ranging from climate change to animal population movements and much more. Final grant proposals are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 31, with awards announced in December. Technical assistance webinars […]

This year’s statewide design challenge, #STEMdrivesOhio, explores Smart Mobility – using new technologies to improve the mobility of people and goods. That may sound very technical for younger students, but this West Chester school is up to the challenge. At the Kinder Garden School, youngsters in kindergarten through third grade work on an improved kid’s car seat. By centering safety and community wellness, the school’s using the design challenge as a learning experience. These young learners will even present their […]

What does it takes to be a STEM or STEAM school, as designated by the State of Ohio? Designation requires more than adding a robotics club, going 1:1 with technology, or offering more science and math courses. The Ohio STEM Learning Network and the Ohio Department of Education will be hosting four regional meetings this fall to assist schools interested in applying for STE(A)M designation. Join us to learn about the attributes of a STE(A)M designated school, from creating a […]

St. Ambrose Catholic School is a rare kind of school. Just three nonpublic Ohio schools have earned designation from the Ohio STEM Committee as a STEAM (STEM + arts) school. The pre-K through 8 school in northeastern Ohio’s Medina County has much to offer in its STEAM-based curriculum, which it launched in 2016. From coding and computer science to a planned Fine Arts STEAM Lab, the school has been able to offer its students a wide-ranging STEAM-based curriculum in just […]

Have you heard about esports? If not, you might soon. Esports is competitive videograming, and it’s a wildly popular global phenomenon with a growing professional level. Among U.S. colleges and universities, many are forming teams, hiring coaches and granting scholarships to the best players, just as they do for athletes in traditional sports. Ohio State University is developing an interdisciplinary curriculum spanning five colleges to focus on video-game studies and esports. The curriculum will include undergraduate and graduate degrees; an […]

Editor’s note We’re publishing today’s interview as Director Heather Sherman joins the Education Commission of the States’ annual National Forum on Education Policy  to present on “State Policies to Support STEAM Education.” You can follow her tweets here. At Herbert Mills STEM Elementary School, the arts have always been a part of the engineering design process. So recently, administrators at the central Ohio school decided to make it official, successfully petitioning the STEM Committee of the state’s Department of Education to […]

For the second year, we’re proud to recognize four leaders from around the network. A teacher, a principal, an innovator, and an advocate each accepted commendation for their dedication to improving education in our state. Below, read the formal release from Battelle praising these important leaders. 2019 Ohio STEM Excellence Awards Unveiled COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 13, 2019)—The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) has recognized the four winners of the “STEM Excellence Awards.” These awards recognize outstanding teachers, school leaders, or education advocates […]

Fourteen schools joined the Ohio STEM Learning Network today as they received our recommendation for designation and the official award from the Ohio STEM Committee. Designation recognizes a school’s holistic approach to STEM learning as more than just science, technology, engineering and math. These schools showed exceptional proof of engagement across academic disciplines, of empowering students as creative problem-solvers, and of a school-wide commitment to a quality STEM education for all students. New schools Meet the newest members of the […]