Standard 1.1

ST1.1 - The STEM/school program supports non-traditional student participation through outreach to groups underrepresented in STEM program areas.

St. Louis School is a PreK - 8 Catholic School located in Howard County, Maryland and is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We serve families across six counties and promote and encourage applications through a comprehensive marketing effort that includes strategic social media posts, physical mailings, our STEM blog, participation in community events, monthly “Welcome Wednesday” Open Houses and hosting special STEM Open House and STEM Night events. 

A number of anecdotal reports indicate that a significant number of parents in the area enroll their children at St. Louis School as a result of our successful STEM outreach marketing approach. Our enrollment has grown from 465 students for the 2010-2011 school year to 521 for the current 2019-2020 school year. These numbers also reflect a growth in the diversity of our student population as indicated below:

Demographics for 2010-2011, total number of students is 465:

●      4% Asian

●      5% Black

●      3% Hispanic

●      3% Mixed

●      85% White 

Demographics for 2019-2020, total number of students: 521

●      10% Asian

●      13% Black

●      6% Hispanic

●      12% Mixed

●      57% White 

St. Louis School accommodates a wide range of learners who receive additional support through our Illuminations program staffed by four resource teachers. In addition, our Louis IX Program is in its fourth year of implementation, serving two students with Down Syndrome. This program includes a full-time special educator and two para-professionals. 

St. Louis School offers leadership opportunities for our female population through the Girls on the Run program but we also strive to promote increased female participation in our Robotics and Cyber STEM after school programs. Our 2018-2019 Robotics after school program had 36 student participants with 11 girls and 25 boys and our Cyber STEM program had 42 participants with 14 girls and 28 boys. In order to continue to promote female involvement, we are providing female leadership role models through the recruitment of  two new female robotics coaches and have confirmed our first female military officer, Maryland Army National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead as the keynote speaker for our annual Veteran’s Day event. 

“Through our commitment to Catholic values and academic excellence, St. Louis School exists to educate lifelong learners who transform the world through intellect, justice and peace.”

Annual STEM Family Fun Night Event

The Seventh Annual STEM Family Fun Night (spring of 2019) brought over a hundred students and parents to St Louis School on Thursday evening to learn more about robotics and participate in a series of hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities. Our robotics teams kicked-off the evening, demonstrating their robots, projects and programming skills while encouraging younger students to get involved. The Aqua Knights, the Galactic Knights, the Galaxy Voyagers, the Nebula Narwhals and the Space Nuggets all had the opportunity to interact with the students and parents and share their enthusiasm for the creativity and exploration that robotics enables. The @Archbishop Spalding First Robotics Competition team, @4541cavineers, and their robot "4541" informed and entertained the audience with a display of agility, including picking up and accurately placing a yellow block from over seven feet high! They talked about their planning and build process and how the competition runs. The Cavineers also made the connection with the First LEGO League (FLL) competition by talking about the design process and how often we have to test and rebuild to succeed.

Maryland STEM Festival Open House Events

For the past four years, St. Louis School has participated in the Maryland STEM Festival by inviting new friends for a fun morning of all things STEM. From playing with tangrams on the Ozmos, to creating Art bots from pool noodles and toothbrushes, to taking pictures in our pretend snow storm using a green screen, to learning about our 3D printing program, it is always a creative and exciting morning for all. Thanks to everyone for coming by for a visit and to our X-STEM ambassador students who always do a fabulous job leading the various activities! 

Maryland STEM Festival Podcast Interviewed SLS Students (Fall 2018)

Girls on the Run Program at SLS!

Could you run five kilometers when you were eight years old? SLS has a group of Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders who have been training to do exactly that! Girls on the Run of Central Maryland, a non-profit organization that encourages the development of character and perseverance through physical exercise and social engagement. In addition to training, the girls completed a service project where they collected socks for the Friends of Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia. We are proud of these young ladies and wish them the best!

St. Louis School STEM Blog