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Our active partners in our STEM program include: McDonald's, Edinburgh Parks and Recreation, The Town of Edinburgh, Tri Kappa, East Side Pride Boosters, Tailwaggers Grooming Salon, Sonoco, Spaceport Exploration, Spaceport Indiana, several local churches, and Ditech. These partnerships have provided us support with volunteers, materials, and funding. These partnerships also have helped us mold our curriculum by giving us input as to what skills we need to focus on. We recently brought in an astronaut from Spaceport Explorations. He spoke to all students about careers in aerospace and engineering. All students were also involved in the launch and tracking of our Pico Satellite which made it halfway around the world before being brought down in bad weather over the Mediterranean Sea. This experience would not have been possible without our community partners. Tri Kappa provided funding in order to bring this experience to our students. They are excited to continue our partnership in the future.
We recently held a breakfast meeting for local businesses and community partners. As you can see on the attached agenda/sign in sheet we started off our meeting with a demonstration of our STEM projects. We then talked with the community partners about how we can improve to better serve them. These Community Partners help us develop our STEM plan by sharing their resources, needs, and ideas. We also work closely with the Town of Edinburgh to help us drive community involvement and support.
AdditionalDocumetationCommunityPartnerBreakfast.pdf4.2 STEM Career Exploration
4.2 STEM Career Exploration
Many of our STEM activities are attached to Computer Science careers and manufacturing. These activities include things like our robotics, computer science, and Project Lead the Way projects. Our third grade students had a shared interest in animals and they went to the Indianapolis Zoo for their filed trip. This trip involved an in-depth study of Orangutans and their care givers. We are looking to expand into some agriculture careers with the launch of our community garden in the Spring.
All of our students receive PLTW curriculum. These activities make up over 50% of the student's STEM instruction. Below you will see the areas/fields that PLTW's Launch curriculum highlights with each lesson.
The lesson plans below highlight are examples of lessons that highlight and encourage STEM Career Exploration.
4.3 Community Engagement
4.3 Community Engagement
Our active partners in our STEM program include: McDonald's, Edinburgh Parks and Recreation, The Town of Edinburgh, Tri Kappa, East Side Pride Boosters, Tailwaggers Grooming Salon, Sonoco, Spaceport Exploration, Spaceport Indiana, several local churches, and Ditech Inc. The attached picture is from a Tri Kappa event that is an annual fundraiser for our schools. Which in a true partnership is housed in our High School cafeteria.
We recently held a breakfast meeting for local businesses and community partners. As you can see on the attached agenda/sign in sheet we started off our meeting with a demonstration of our STEM projects. We then talked with the community partners about how we can improve to better serve them. These Community Partners help us develop our STEM plan by sharing their resources, needs, and ideas.
AdditionalDocumetationCommunityPartnerBreakfast.pdfAs a Title 1 school we have monthly family nights. These family nights are focused on Reading and Math, but we take them a step further and add STEM components to each family night. We do this to help teach our parents about STEM and to show them how to better assist their children with their school work.
The pictures below highlight the STEM components of two of our Family Nights. The students were tasked with choosing materials to build a "Parade Float" on the left. Students were challenged to build a shelter to protect their families with limited resources and budget on the right.
Our students participate in an annual Science Fair. Our community partners at IUPUC provide us with our judges for our local contest. IUPUC Education students work with small groups of our students and they then volunteered to come back and judge our projects.
4.4 Extended Learning
4.4 Extended Learning
Our Student Leadership group completes community service projects and assists in other areas in our building. The attached pictures is from a community service project with our partners at the Edinburgh Parks and Recreation. The student walked to the public library and helped clean up the landscaping and planted some new flowers. A small percentage of our students that work with our Technology department in an internship/helper roll. We also have a small group that helps the custodial staff during free time. These groups affect approximately 10% of our student-body. In the future we are looking to launch a community garden, STEM club, and Robotics team to increase this percentage.
As a Title 1 school we have monthly family nights. These family nights are focused on Reading and Math, but we take them a step further and add STEM components to each family night. We do this to help teach our parents about STEM and to show them how to better assist their children with their school work.
The pictures below highlight the STEM components of two of our Family Nights. The students were tasked with choosing materials to build a "Parade Float" on the left. Students were challenged to build a shelter to protect their families with limited resources and budget on the right.
This area is one we are focusing on moving forward. Our recently approved STEM grant opens the door for a Robotics Club, Discovery Camp, Discovery Legos, and the possibility of an E-sports team. The attached STEM Acceleration Grant Application helps highlight our plans moving forward.
Edinburgh Parks and Recreation provides our Latchkey service to students before and after school. This is available to all students and helps our parents with transportation and child care. This program offers homework help and additional organized activities.
Our East Side Engineers after school club is offered to our 4th-5th grade students. 15-20 students are selected based on their applications. This club does not cost the students anything to join and they get extra STEM rich programming outside of the school day. We plan to grow this club in the future to offer it to more of our students.
4.5 Equity
4.5 Equity
We believe in inclusion at East Side Elementary. When we do an activity we do it together. We recently brought in an astronaut from Spaceport Explorations. He spoke to all students about careers in aerospace and engineering. All students were also involved in the launch and tracking of our Pico Satellite which made it halfway around the world before being brought down in bad weather over the Mediterranean Sea. Our STEM rotations are accessible to all students.
Our special education students are included in our STEM instruction.
We have also tried to offer STEM instruction to all students without additional fees. This helps our program be accessible to all students.
Our Project Lead the Way curriculum is available in Spanish and English to make it more accessible to our ELL students.
Girls on the Run focused on build strong leaders within our female students.
Girls on the Run is a non-profit program that works to encourage the development of self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls through dynamic, interactive lessons as well as through running games, all of which culminates in a celebratory 5k run. Our school nurse and a few other volunteers conducted this program. This program is designed to build leadership skills and show young female students their future opportunities.
Below are assorted pictures highlighting underrepresented groups in STEM careers throughout East Side Elementary. These images are designed to highlight and motivate students to strive for success through STEM. We encourage students to relate to these images and see how a future in STEM is obtainable no matter who you are, or what your background is.
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