Tag Archives: Engineering

Those who know me know that there are few things I love more than getting out and visiting schools. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life as an edu-nerd. Spreadsheets, data, laws, and studies are very much my bag. But those things can never truly convey the power of education to change lives and help kids reach their full potential. Education has always been, is now, and will forever be a fundamentally human undertaking that has to be observed firsthand to be fully appreciated. We’ve talked quite a bit about the moving stories of unique private schools in Colorado, which are laid out nicely by my policy friend Ross Izard in his Profiles in Private Education series. But there are plenty of inspiring stories in the public school system, too, and those stories deserve to be told. That’s why I was so excited when I received a comment from a woman named Denise Gliwa on one my posts inviting me to visit a unique charter school in Douglas County School District called STEM School and Academy. Denise works at the school, and she thought I might be interested in seeing STEM in action. She was right. 

I still need to learn how to add and subtract, but someday I may want to learn a lot more about math and science. A good place to look is the new Colorado Springs high school that has a special focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In addition to a comprehensive high school curriculum, sports, and extra curricular activities, Vista Ridge High School offers several technology-based career academies: Engineering, Biomedical Science, and Information Technology. The engineering program is based on the Project Lead the Way curriculum, which is comprised of hands-on, real-world projects designed to make math and science relevant for students. The biomedical sciences program is also based on Project Lead the Way curriculum. Students will be introduced to many medical career possibilities through the classes they take. The information technology program will focus on networking and programming skills. The school is also piloting the school district’s 7-period modified block schedule. Students will attend seven classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday for approximately 48 minutes each. On Wednesday and Thursday, classes have an extended block of time, with half of the classes meeting on each day. A weekly advisory period and additional elective course will also meet on […]