July 10, 2024 —This summer, Ricky Carroll, a rising second-grade student, pretended to be a fish. Carroll is a student at Linden STEM Academy for Summer Experience, which focuses on STEM learning. For one of the lessons, Carroll and his fellow students pretended to be different animals to learn about their mannerisms.
“It was fun to act like animals,” Carroll said. “I really enjoy learning about the different animals.”
This is just one of the lessons students at Linden STEM Academy have learned so far this summer. The District partnered with Franklin Park Conservatory to create engaging and innovative lessons that keep STEM at the forefront. Renee Harris, Summer Experience coordinator at Linden STEM, said having professionals in the world of STEM working with the students shows kids what their futures can look like.
“We are living in a math, science, and technology world. The STEM program is designed to expose students to as many STEM-related careers as possible,” Harris said. “The lessons are geared towards developing the students’ STEM minds.”
Acting like animals was one of the ways students developed these STEM minds that Harris referenced. Additionally, students have learned about pollination, bee hives, and biomes.
What they learn in the classroom extends into off-site experiences at locations like the Columbus Zoo and Franklin Park Conservatory. At the zoo, students saw up close the mannerisms of different animals; at the Conservatory, students observed the butterfly life cycle.
The Conservatory provides written activities for students to complete on their off-site visits. Jillian Deas, Harris’ fellow building coordinator at Linden STEM, said these additional learning materials help the students comprehend what they learn in the classroom.
“[The field trips] are an extension of what they’ve been learning in the classroom,” Deas said. “The Conservatory provided materials for them to guide their learning and connect what they learned in the classroom. The kids have really enjoyed it; they’ve found it fun to learn and have a different classroom experience.”
Deas hopes that staff members working at Linden STEM during the summer will take the knowledge they gain about integrated STEM education back to their home buildings during the school year. She’s excited to see the District grow in its STEM capabilities.
“It’s really cool to see other staff members come in and see how STEM could look in their classrooms and the connections they can make,” Deas said. “We’re excited to hopefully keep moving forward with our STEM pathway.”
