STEM Indicator 1.10

Community, post-secondary, and business/industry partners and/or families actively support and are engaged with teachers and students in the STEM program.

Self-Assessment Rating: 3

STEM partners with limited representation of stakeholders meet regularly to collaborate with, support, and sustain the STEM school/program and to create a STEM pipeline. Community, post-secondary and/or business/industry partners regularly engage with teachers and students in the STEM program. The school/program has begun to implement plans for maintaining the support and engagement of community, post-secondary and business/industry partners and/or families in the STEM school/program and can demonstrate progress meeting such goals.

ST1.10 Narrative

What were the areas of strength noted in the Self Assessment?

Community, post-secondary, business, industry and families collaborate with, support, and sustain the STEM program to create a STEM pipeline to and through Christian Academy. The school formally initiated The STEM Advisory Council in Fall 2019, with 14 community, teacher, and parent representatives in attendance. The Christian Academy STEM Advisory Council plans to continue to meet biannually with the goal of creating a pipeline from school to the workforce in STEM. The ideas gleaned from this meeting are now in the stages of research, planning, and implementation. For example, the Advisory Council meeting resulted in school leadership researching the implementation of Microsoft Suite in an Apple school, which will expose students to more than one technological platform. In addition, the Advisory Council recommended a job shadowing program to reinforce STEM learning. Several steps have been taken toward implementation of a multi-year and carefully scaffolded job shadowing program.

Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach has a partnership with the Regional Workforce Advisor from the South Carolina Department of Commerce. This position has provided support to Christian Academy’s STEM Program since 2016. The partnership has resulted in valuable STEM connections including Boeing’s teacher and student educational programs, TALLO, and many other community partners. This valued advisor is also part of the STEM Advisory Council. Another important community partner includes the Grand Strand Technology Council Chairman who assisted Christian Academy in starting a First Lego League Robotics Team in 2016 and providing guest speakers for STEM Expo each year.

Higher education partners, Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) and Coastal Carolina University, support the STEM program by providing learning opportunities for Christian Academy students. Programs include an after school STEM DAY at their campus, hosting field trips such as the Precalculus class engaging and working with the Crime Lab at HGTC to analyze blood splatter using trigonometry, and providing numerous onsite classroom presenters like the Coastal Waccamaw Watershed Education Programs Coordinator.

Along with community engagement, Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach has beneficial relationships with many parents working in STEM related careers. For example, a parent who is a local emergency room physician with a passion for hands-on learning often visits classes and brings specimens such as a pig’s heart and a cow’s femur to support learning in science. He has also brought in equipment to demonstrate and allow students to experience CPR training for all grade levels during the school’s STEM Expo. A local ophthalmologist and Christian Academy parent visits elementary classrooms to present, demonstrate, and develop further understanding about the structure and function of an eye. Another parent brings his architectural knowledge and experience into the classroom by demonstrating Computer Aided Design (CAD) and helps students create their own digital 3D design using Google SketchUp.

For the last three years Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach has hosted a STEM Expo to expose students to a variety of STEM careers through guest speaker presentations, interactive demonstrations, and peer-evaluated STEM projects. The STEM Expo occurs during school hours where all students rotate simultaneously through STEM presenters and stations. Students also have the opportunity to review and evaluate middle and high school science fair projects using a peer evaluation rubric. Additionally, students are able to view STEM projects from all grade levels by visiting each class’ STEM projects or activities on display. Professional involvement in the STEM Expo and STEM Week activities included a visit from the Re-Max Hot Air balloon. The visit allowed upper school students to help raise and lower the balloon, some teachers and staff to enjoy a tethered balloon, and the pilot followed up with assemblies, segmented by age group, demonstrating the science and engineering behind hot-air balloons. A more complete list of past participants and presenters can be found in evidence.

Financial support for Christian Academy’s STEM program has come through generous donations from families and local businesses for many years. Monetary donations from families, businesses, and community supporters assist Christian Academy in purchasing equipment such as classroom sets of iPads, Apple TVs, projectors, accessories, and necessary mounting equipment. Other donations include supporting robotics team needs and supplying STEM bins and materials for classrooms. Additionally, an alumni parent donates his time and services for technology support.

What actions are being implemented to sustain the areas of strength?

The strengths of the STEM Program at Christian Academy result from of an ongoing purposeful commitment to current partnerships. The time allocated for the Technology Coordinator position enables sustainability of Christian Academy’s program by cultivating partnerships, assisting classroom teachers with community connections and continuing to seek new relationships with community and industry. By nurturing the valuable relationships with current partners, Christian Academy often receives referrals to make new connections with professionals in STEM related industries. Internal and external communication through publicity and public relations about relationships within the STEM community promotes student retention and growth.

What were areas in need of improvement? What plans are being made to improve the area of need?

Christian Academy will strive to give students additional space and time, with guided flexibility and freedom to identify and work to solve more real-world learning and problem-based learning. These are and will continue to be supported by the board, faculty, staff, parents and STEM Advisory Council’s commitment to sustain and grow opportunities for all STEM learners. This will include an addition of a student job shadowing program and increasing more formal STEM partnerships. The primary goal of the student job shadowing program would allow students to observe and interact within a potential STEM career, and could lead to an internship program. Furthermore, job shadowing programs can help students set goals and make decisions about which career path to pursue, which colleges to apply to, and how to best select courses and degree programs to achieve their goals. Increasing the number of formal and purposeful STEM partnerships will lead to more financial support of STEM programs, additional job shadowing and internship opportunities, and new or more field experiences.

Artifacts

1.10 a) Community Partnerships: Support and Engagement with STEM

1.10 b) STEM Advisory Council Meeting Agenda