Morning Star Christian School in STEM pilot program

Morning Star Christian School is proud to announce its selection as one of just 44 schools in the United States invited to pilot the newest science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program for students in grades K-5.

The elementary STEM program is designed and developed by Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of STEM education curricular programs for middle and high school students. By offering this new elementary STEM program to its students, Morning Star Christian School is expanding its high-quality educational offerings for its students.

“PLTW has a long history of successfully engaging students in STEM subjects,” said Joe Bales, School Administrator. “Morning Star Christian School is proud to offer PLTW to our students, giving them an advantage over their peers when it comes to high school, college, or career readiness. We believe our community will also see the benefits of PLTW as the pool of highly-skilled workers for local businesses increases.”

Studies show that students decide as early as second and third grade whether they like, and think they are good at, math and science. PLTW’s elementary program is designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grades and will align with standards such as Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Through a series of topic-based modules, students will engage in design problems that encourage collaboration, analysis, problem solving, and computational thinking.

Ms. Elizabeth Beaty, the instructor designated as the Master Teacher for the elementary pilot will help instruct the professional development for the teachers at Morning Star Christian School who will be involved in the pilot program.

The 44 schools invited to participate in the pilot program will test 12 STEM modules and play an integral role in the development of the final version of the curriculum by providing feedback on their experiences to the PLTW. This feedback will influence the development of engaging curriculum and balanced assessment for elementary students, and the creation of effective professional development for instructors. The final version of the elementary program will be available to all school districts in the United States for the 2014-15 school year.

“In today’s global economy, Americans are competing not just against each other but against their peers in countries like China and India,” said Vince Bertram, CEO of PLTW. “It is more critical now than ever for our education system to help students develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare them for the global economy.”

For more information on Morning Star Christian School’s new PLTW courses or to set up a school visit, please contact our school office at (541) 382.5091.

About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education curricular programs used in schools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, PLTW exists to prepare students for the global economy through its world-class curriculum, high-quality professional development, and an engaged network of educators, students, universities and professionals. PLTW’s comprehensive curriculum has been collaboratively designed by PLTW teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals, and school administrators to promote critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real-world problem solving skills in students. The hands-on, project-based program engages students on multiple levels, exposes them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue, and provides them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success. More than 4,700 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.