Our STEM STORY

STEM began at Heritage Academy in 2015 when the South Atlanta Cluster administrators selected STEM as the Signature Program. The selection was to meet the demands of the twenty-first century; thus preparing our students through meaningful projects that promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.

STEM is a perfect fit for Heritage because it meets the mission and vision of Heritage Academy. The bolded portions below show how STEM addresses the mission and vision of Heritage Academy.

The Mission of Heritage Academy

The mission of Heritage Academy Elementary School is to provide all students with a differentiated, impactful, and rigorous curriculum in a safe, clean, and supportive environment that promotes self-discipline, motivation, and excellence in learning.

The Vision of Heritage Academy

The vision of Heritage Academy Elementary School is to become a school that equips all students for the demands and opportunities of the twenty-first century. We are striving to build a community of excellent readers, dynamic mathematicians, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens dedicated to making our community a better place to live.

To become immersed in STEM, we began with STEM Fridays where the students and teachers became familiar with the Engineering Design Process. Students were engaged in solving problems creatively by collaborating with each other. They built “Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom” trees that held the letters of the alphabet; created ziplines to help Jack escape from the Giant in “Jack and the Beanstalk”; and designed baskets for Felix from “Have You Filled a Basket Today?” From there, teachers began selecting their own challenges that also aligned with their grade level standards. Since 2018, Heritage has been engaging students with Project/Problem Based Learning. Each year we have used the feedback from our peers and district personnel to improve the units.

HA Core Values & Beliefs

Implementation of STEM and Project Based Learning Units provide students throughout the school an opportunity to utilize inquiry skills, twenty-first century skills, investigate real world phenomena, and promote critical thinking skills, which are all skills that may not be broached when tackling deficits in reading and math. STEM also gives students the opportunity to display creative skills and talents that may not be evident during Standards Based Instruction which is why we press the utilization of the Engineering Design Model when implementing STEM Units. The goal is to pair basic reading, math, and writing skills with critical thinking skills to put them into use in practical applications. It all ties back to our school vision: The vision of Heritage Academy Elementary School is to become a school that equips all students for the demands and opportunities of the twenty-first century. We are striving to build a community of excellent readers, dynamic mathematicians, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens dedicated to making our community a better place to live.

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HA STEM Brand or Core Identity