LATEST NEWS & INFO Category: STEM schools

Colorful, twinkling lights of the holiday season can inspire awe and wonder in adults and children alike. But in northeastern Ohio, kids of elementary and high school age have created light displays for an annual drive-through show that draws tens of thousands of visitors and raises money for local charities. Magic of Lights, held from late November through early January, is billed as the region’s largest holiday light attraction. Using the latest LED technology and digital animation, the event includes […]

Each year, we combine the data reported by the Ohio Department of Education with surveys of Ohio’s STEM and STEAM designated schools. This provides a detailed picture of Ohio’s growing and diverse community of schools. In each of these 69 schools, students experience a model that pairs career preparation with innovative teaching, college credits, industry credentials, and local business needs. Here are just a few of the key highlights from this year’s report. Inside Ohio’s STEM/STEAM schools: Students earned more […]

A huge thank you to the many young leaders and the dedicated educators who made today’s Computer Science Advocacy Day a success! Specific thanks to our student advocates: Tayla Robinson from Dayton Regional STEM School and Bhawana Khatiwada from Reynoldburg’s eSTEM Academy.  Read the press release below for more information, share this flyer, and talk to your Senator or Representative about the importance of quality computer science education. Our album of pictures from the event is here, including visits from […]

It’s the biggest shopping day of the year: Cyber Monday. Looking to fill the shelves of your classroom? We know you’re working on a tight budget – here’s a quick rundown of a few of the deals that caught our eyes this morning. Looking to do more with STEM without spending a dime? Here’s one of our favorite “unplugged” lessons on computer science that relies on just a few regular classroom supplies. Membership in the National Science Teaching Association: Down […]

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 […]