Our STEAM initiative offers a student-centered environment dedicated to a deeper understanding of real-world concepts and their relationship to each other. The STEAM concept explores Science and Technology, through Engineering and the Arts, all based in Mathematical elements. This hands-on, inquiry-based approach encourages our kindergarten through 8th grade students to investigate and solve real-world problems by incorporating language, fine arts, and music in addition to traditional STEM curriculum.
STEAM Electives/ Projects
- Future City: Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue.
Students complete four deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay; a scale model built from recycled materials; a project plan, and a presentation to judges at Regional Competitions.
Skills gained – Students participating in Future City:
– Apply math and science concepts to real-world issues
– Develop writing, public speaking, problem solving, and time management skills
– Research and propose solutions to engineering challenges
– Discover different types of engineering and explore careers options
– Learn how their communities work and become better citizens
– Develop strong time management and project management skills
- Dominican Challenge: STEM Competition of around 30 middle school teams at Dominican High School. Our school won third place overall in 2019-2020. Starting with an identical set of materials, each team will design, build, and test a small machine that will be used to complete a challenge in a tournament format. Along the way, students will utilize engineering design thinking, collect data to inform revision and upgrades, and use artistic creativity to transform raw materials into a unique, victorious product.
Grants Received
2019
We are so honored to have received a $10,000 Grant from The Catholic Community Foundation for our STEM Science Initiative.
2022
SJ23 is so excited to announce that we have been chosen to receive a grant of $33,705.50 for our “Love Grows” Greenhouse Project through the Bruce Krier Charitable Foundation!
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become an important educational focus for us in recent years. With the addition of the Love Grows Greenhouse, we will enhance our curriculum and educator resources to a level where a combination of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and/or math are taught cohesively (STEAM) and provide valuable real-world concepts for all students in grades K3-8.
Hands-on experiences created by implementing a “living” greenhouse will engage students in relevant, real-world experiences and applications where they investigate scientific phenomena, engage in collaboration and discussion, and develop models or explanations in order to arrive at solutions. Students will take on the roles of scientists, engineers, horticulturists or even nutritionists to experience many real-world applications related to agriculture, sustainability and nature. These hands-on applications provide relevant contexts through which students develop critical problem solving skills.
In addition to the academic benefits, students gain life skills: caring for God’s creation(s), collaborative teamwork to ensure successful outcomes, critical thinking strategies to determine the best possible solutions, self-discipline and a deep sense of responsibility for the entire community. The project is a way to integrate so many things that students are learning in all classes. It turns book learning into nurturing curiosity. It takes them from “show it” to “do it”.
We are looking forward to the partnership and collaboration to create a tangible, positive impact in our community. Please keep an eye out for more details as we begin to put this program together and all of the fun ways students will be immersed in a world of growth, giving, nature, responsibility, curiosity, imagination, and creativity.