La Porte ISD STEM Academy - An Overview

The Charge for STEM in LPISD 1. Create opportunities for STEM Learning for all students in grades PK-5 at every campus beginning in the 2022-2023 school year 2. Create a STEM program that is INCLUSIVE 3. Ensure program SUSTAINABILITY 4. Create a program that we in LPISD can be PROUD to call ours

The Need for STEM Learning 1. Community projections for local economic WORKFORCE NEED in STEM-centered careers 2. Increase preparation EARLY for STEM career pathways in HS 3. READINESS to compete in a global workforce 4. Prepare students in SKILL DEVELOPMENT needed meet any academic challenge

The Planning Process Sept 2021: Established STEM Design Team Oct 2021: STEM Learning & Observation Protocols • Region IV & TEA STEM Leadership Training • Region 13’s STEM Essentials Framework • TEA’s Framework for STEM

Oct 2021 – Feb 2022: STEM Site Visits • CCISD’s Ed White eSTEM Campus • Lewisville ISD’s Nationally Certified STEM Programs • Dickinson ISD’s STEM Academy in grades 5-8 • Alief ISD’s STEM Academy at Alexander Elementary

The Vision for STEM March 2022: Articulated Vision for STEM in LPISD In La Porte ISD, we believe STEM education opens doors for each student through interdisciplinary learning rooted in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. By developing both innovative and practical skills through varied problem-solving applications, we will prepare each student to be resilient and ready for any challenge they will face in a future global society.

The Goals for STEM April 2022: Set Program Goals (5 year) Goal 1: Equity of Programming • Provide meaningful opportunities in STEM for each student in La Porte ISD in grades PK-5 to develop 21st Century skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

The Goals for STEM April 2022: Set Program Goals (5 year) Goal 2: School Climate and Culture • Create a collaborative culture of learning at each campus that embraces the engineering design process, celebrates mistakes and redesign, and encourages grit and determination in solving challenging problems applicable to the real world.

The Goals for STEM April 2022: Set Program Goals (5 year) Goal 3: Program Design • Provide hands-on STEM learning experiences that integrate problemsolving and design challenges that are aligned to grade level TEKS and contents across STEM Fields.

The Goals for STEM

April 2022: Set Program Goals (5 year) Goal 4: Curriculum and Instruction • Ensure STEM experiences are vertically aligned to the TEKS in PK-5 and to STEM pathways in high school for college and career readiness.

The Goals for STEM

April 2022: Set Program Goals (5 year) Goal 5: Stakeholder Engagement • Partner with all stakeholders to expand learning experiences beyond the classroom to connect learning to future careers, responding to community needs.

Meet our STEM Staff!

Mr. Michael Newman

Ms. Shannon Fanning

STEM Lead Teacher

STEM Facilitator

Preparing for Fall 2022 Launch!

• Each elementary campus will have STEM Lab space designated for STEM Experiences and rotations • Labs will be equipped uniformly for equity and consistency.

Preparing for Fall 2022 Launch!

• STEM on every campus in grades 3 and 4 through STEM Lab Experiences • STEM Experiences focused on Engineering Design Process of Think, Design, Build, Test, Redesign model of continuous learning

• Students will work in STEM Lab for STEM WEEK 1x per nine weeks • STEM Experiences unified through district STEM Facilitator

Preparing for Fall 2022 Launch!

Preparing for Fall 2022 Launch!

• STEM Exploration through Makerspaces in grade 2 • Makerspaces are student focused, minimal instruction given. Students receive challenge cards and create whatever maybe on the card using materials provided. They can let their imagination and creativity fly and create what they desire.

Preparing for Fall 2022 Launch!

Continued Planning for:

• STEM Exploration Nights • Professional Learning for Teachers and Staff • STEM Engagement • Community Engagement through Field Trips, Guest Speakers, and Events • Forward Growth! STEM for ALL!