My Drew Experience

Drew specializes in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and PBL (Project Based Learning). I came to Charles R. Drew Charter School in the 3rd grade. I was seven years old and had never been to public school. I had never said the pledge of allegiance nor been in a class of 10+ people. It was a true culture shock for me. My Drew experience has been an interesting roller-coaster. At my previous school, our summer break ended in September and we got out in June. At Drew, the school year is longer. It starts in July and ends in May and has an extended day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. which equals an additional 40 days of instruction compared to other schools.

In 2017, Drew’s Elementary Academy became the first charter school in the state of Georgia to earn the GADOE STEAM Certification. Drew’s Junior Academy earned the designation in 2019. And the Senior Academy earned it in 2022 (delayed by the pandemic). Drew is a fully certified STEAM school from cradle-to-college that utilizes Project Based Learning (PBL) as its instructional approach. It engages students in authentic learning designed to answer a question or solve a problem. I came because I fell in love with the library/media center with its row upon row of books, but stayed because it was “full STEAM ahead.” Now as a graduating senior, I cannot imagine learning in a different environment. I view S.T.E.A.M. as the five fingers of a hand and fist; they are stronger together than any one finger.