Selection Criteria/Process:
All incoming freshmen students and any current freshmen or sophomore students can apply for the OTHS STEM Diploma.
To be accepted, students and their parents/guardians must agree to successfully complete all program requirements.
Any applicant may be interviewed by the STEM Leaders Committee.
Program Requirements (summary):
In order to graduate with an OTHS STEM Leaders Diploma, students must:
Succeed in a challenging and diverse STEM courseload, completing at least 10 STEM credits, of which at least 3 are college-level. Performance in the standards of this coursework must be at the proficient-to-superior level.
Participate in 3 external competitions or research showcases (examples are WindBlade Challenge, Maine State Science Fair, invited poster presentations, Math Team, Robotics Team).
Successfully complete an 80-hour authentic STEM internship or job shadow, including an oral presentation to peers at the conclusion.
Complete a STEM-related capstone project of superior quality, with a focus on technical writing.
Complete 1-4 authentic STEM service efforts, through which the student transitions from short-term participatory efforts to longer-term leadership efforts.
Participate in and reflect on 8 STEM seminars.
Demonstrate moderate facility with at least one mode of computer programming/scripting (MATLab, C++, JavaScript, robotics programming).
Students shall maintain an honorable academic career, free of cheating and plagiarism.