STEM Learners 1.1

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

MHS is categorized as a rural, high-poverty school in which approximately 70% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Students at Munford High School are recruited through various means such as our yearly community career-tech outreach program. We also offer several options for students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM program areas. Through partnerships with the U.S Forestry Service, students are offered several opportunities to receive training in restoration skills necessary for field work (i.e. career oriented experiences). Our STEM program is showcased at parenting events at the middle and high school levels to increase community awareness and student interest. In addition to MHS Robotics, other co-curricular programs have been established in grades 9-12 to help increase student interest in STEM studies.

Partnership with the National Forest

From monitoring the egg production at the chicken coop, creating a plan to market the honey collected at the beehives, and maintaining the water quality for the Koi and Catfish located in the six 1,000 gallon fish tanks, Munford High School is the place where ideas hit the dirt. Munford High School is located in the foothills of the Talladega National Forest on the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains in Alabama. The Munford Schools were the first in the southeast to incorporate forestry, conservation, and conservation education themes into the basic curriculum and campus design. Munford High School is student-centered and focused on teaching and learning. Applying the new standards within the Common Core initiative, placing technology into each student’s hand, shifting the instructional focus to Project-Based Learning, and laying the foundation for a multitude of sustainable partnerships, Munford High School’s staff and students have united to meet the challenge of better preparing our graduates to become college and career ready.

Parent Outreach Night

Munford High School hosts a parent and student outreach night in which vocational and STEM classes are explained and highlighted. STEM teachers and representatives from our STEM partnerships give a brief explanation about their respective classes and how their classes can benefit students. Parents and students are then encouraged to ask questions and discuss with STEM advisors to determine if they are interested in participating.

Youth Conservation Corps

Through a partnership with the US Forest service Munford High School students in our Wildlife Management and Forestry classes are selected to participate in an internship with the Youth Conservation Corps. This program allows students to work with biologists, foresters, engineers and scientists during the summer months and gain valuable hands-on experience. Our partnership with Youth Conservation Corps has mainly been male dominated in the past, however, MHS has made strides in offering this internship to more underrepresented female students in order to improve female participation in our overall partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and National Wildlife Federation.

Through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Munford High School students Wildlife Management and Forestry classes are selected to participate in an internship with the Youth Conservation Corps. This program allows students to work with biologists, foresters, engineers, and scientists during the summer months to gain valuable hands-on experience. Our partnership with Youth Conservation Corps has mainly been male dominated in the past; however, MHS has made strides in offering and recruiting individuals for this internship in order to include more underrepresented female students. As a result, we have improved female participation in our overall partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and National Wildlife Federation.

Robotics Program

The MHS robotics team competes in BEST Robotics competitions in district, regional, and state competitions. Students are encouraged to join the robotics program through a recruitment process that takes into account various categories. Students that have a given aptitude for technology, math, and engineering and complete an interview with our robotics instructor are given precedence over other students. Through an increase in recruiting efforts, the demographics of our robotics team and program now include more underrepresented students. Statistics have proven that there was a gap in female representation in our robotics program. To combat this discrepancy, we enlisted and interviewed more females with an aptitude for technology, math, and engineering. This resulted in a twenty-two percent increase of female representation in MHS's robotics program.

For the 2018 - 2019 school year, Munford has introduced three full period class serving 49 students!

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