Stephen Foster’s magnet program offers accelerated academic opportunities
The field of science, technology, engineering and math has historically been dominated by men. Women only make up 28% of the STEM workforce, and even less in college programs for those fields.
Stephen Foster Elementary School is helping to bridge that gap by giving all its students access to STEM education at an early age.
Women Leadership
Led by women, the STEM magnet program offers a comprehensive hands-on curriculum. Students apply the engineering design process to STEM challenges that are part of the school’s mathematics and science curriculum. They also gain experience with problem solving, data analysis and higher order thinking.
“Foster’s STEM magnet began over 10 years ago while Dr. Darla Boyd was principal,” said Assistant Principal LaTorria Mosely-Johnson. “The program was designed to provide students with access to rigorous and accelerated academic opportunities that includes a focus on collaboration and project based learning. Students are offered increased opportunities to engage in STEM lessons within their classroom and in our STEM Lab.”
Stephen Foster Elementary School, home of the Steamers, serves 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. All students participate in a weekly STEM lab, but magnet students in third, fourth and fifth grades have access to six different STEM classes.
Mosely-Johnson said the STEM Lab teacher also infuses the historical contributions of women and minority scientists into her lessons.
Additionally, the other magnet teachers incorporate different STEM activities into their classes.
STEM for all students
Even with all the STEM opportunities through Stephen Foster’s magnet program, the school’s leadership team is focused on providing even more exposure to all of its students, starting with kindergarteners.
Mosely-Johnson said the program allows students to learn in a unique way, and she hopes that by expanding the program even the kindergartners will see themselves as scientists when they work in a STEM lab.
“As an administrator, our role and responsibility is to support our teachers and students and ensure they have what they need to be successful,” she said. “We are always looking for ways to make the STEM program more dynamic and impactful for our students and teachers.”
For STEM, the school offers a robotics team, Math Olympiad, STEM lab, STEM night, gifted math and the morning news crew.
The students who participate in this magnet program will be able to work independently and collaboratively, read at or above grade level, be motivated by challenges, meet due dates and learn organizational skills as well as participate in research projects.
They will also have access to laptop computers for their use and above-level placement in core academics as needed.
Even if students are not part of the STEM program, the school’s leadership is committed to the success of each of them by STEAMing toward leadership. All students learn to LEAD.
- Live safely
- Exhibit kindness
- Act responsibility
- Demonstrate respect
For more information about the STEM program at Stephen Foster Elementary School, go to www.sbac.edu/foster.
By Celia Goodyear.