Computer Science Education Week (CSEd Week) is an annual, international event celebrated during the second week of December. The purpose of CSEd Week is to spark interest and curiosity in K-12 students and help them to see themselves in computer science career fields. WCPSS extends the celebration to include the entire month of December! All schools are invited to participate and, this year, around 70 schools chose to participate!

WCPSS Office of Magnet & Curriculum Enhancement and Technology Services departments provide students across Wake County with multiple types of learning experiences related to computer sciences, including Code & Go Stations, Coding Connection, & Meet The IT Expert. These experiences last the entire month of December.

In Code & Go stations, groups of students spend 20 minutes at various stations where they code robots with curriculum connections. Some of the robots include: Root, Cue, Dash, Makey Makey, Hummingbird, Bolt, Cubelets, and Ozobots. In Coding Connection, students participate in a one-hour coding challenge as a fun way to introduce them to computer science or to keep building coding skills. In Meet The IT Expert, employees from a business and/or community partner visit a school to engage students in completing a coding activity, manipulating hands-on technology, or participating in a career panel (for ​grades 6-12 students) including a Q&A session.

Our very own STEM Consortium Teacher Leadership Member, Munroe Lippard, helps to bring STEM learning to life at Carroll Magnet Middle School in the Magnet elective course- STEM Fuse! Munroe has worked to make this elective a special time for students to engage in STEM learning by creating a curriculum that is adaptive, hands-on, and highly engaging.

This elective course was designed to support engaging students in STEM activities! Also, this elective course enhances students' application of the magnet theme- technology leadership. The STEM Fuse magnet elective includes the use of digital editing software, 3D printing, building virtual worlds, and creating within online design platforms.

In this course, students participate in activities like using iPads to engage in digital arts by creating faceless portraits. Students designed and created a miniature golf course for Spheros, then played it! While using a Cricut machine, one student exclaimed, "This is my favorite class of the day because we get to DO things!"

Overall, students’ experiences in the course adds to their growth as Leaders in Technology. Thank you, Munroe, for tirelessly working to engage students in STEM learning!

Brentwood Magnet Elementary School of Engineering provides all students with enriched educational opportunities through engineering challenges. Using inquiry and Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), Brentwood integrates the engineering principles, habits of mind, and opportunities for application of student knowledge through all subjects in all classes.

This year, many of Brentwood's challenges have aligned with the Brentwood's ARISS contact happening in January! Brentwood is the first WCPSS elementary school where students wil have the opportunity to make contact with astronauts on board the International Space Station as it flies over their school. We will be livestreaming the event for all elementary schools in WCPSS to view.

Through special opportunities, the teachers at Brentwood hope to enhance overall understanding of the ARISS event through student-focused, innovative challenges focused on critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. Students have focused on engineering related to space exploration technologies. For instance, students had the chance to experience the engineering/design process as they created and tested prototypes of model rockets and designed parachutes that would help the rockets land. Third grade also went on a field trip to the planetarium to learn more about space and see where some astronauts have trained.

As part of the Balloons Over Brentwood parade shown in the video above, teachers set up a mini parade route in their gym. Students then create floats to attach to the robots that represented space. Using their knowledge of coding, they coded the robots through the parade route.

Call For STEM School Reviewers

The 2022-2023 North Carolina STEM Schools of Distinction Recognition Program is underway. With over 20 schools across the state having communicated their Intent to be recognized as a leading STEM program in North Carolina, we are asking those STEM educational leaders, who have familiarity with the STEM Schools of Distinction process, to assist with the Review of this year's applications.

Individuals presently leading within a NC recognized STEM school, or any individuals who have served as past SSoD reviewers, are asked to provide updated contact information by completing this Reviewer Application by December 31st.

There will be a required Reviewer training. More information on this training will be available soon. This year's applications will be shared the week following the February 3rd deadline and reviewers will have two weeks to complete their review and share feedback. The number of reviewers assigned will be dependent upon the number of submitted applications.