Four Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Cleveland are among the most recent educational institutions statewide to receive designation as STEM schools by the Ohio Department of Education. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.
Mater Dei Academy in Wickliffe; St. Ambrose School, Brunswick; St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception School, Avon; and St. Sebastian School, Akron all received the designation.
Mater Dei is the second school in Lake County to earn the STEM designation. School officials said the honor demonstrates that the school has provided evidence of solid and growing STEM experiences across the curriculum.
The school?s STEM/STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics)-focused partnerships with Lakeland Community College, Community Bus Service, Wickliffe Forever and Progressive Insurance, as well as its collaboration with other business and community groups, provides a solid educational experience for its students, school officials added.
STREAM schools offer the same project-based learning as STEM schools, with the addition of religion and art. They are certified by the diocese.
St. Ambrose is the first school in Medina County to achieve the STEM designation. School officials said the designation recognizes he existing and emerging initiatives throughout the school and in the community. The honor also is a catalyst to continue challenging the St. Ambrose students, faculty and partners for continuous improvement, they added.
STEM Accelerated Coding, the Ohio STEM Impact Network, Bob Gillingham Ford, Cisco, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hyland Software, Rockwell Automation, Brownstone Realty, Medina Animal Vet, United Cerebral Palsy, Fidelis Accounting and Consulting, the Cleveland Sight Center, Alphaport Inc., the Cleveland Metroparks and Solutions Behavioral Health are among St. Ambrose School?s STEM partners and collaborators.
To help celebrate its STEM designation, St. Ambrose will host a Family STEM Night Open House 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 27 at the school, 923 Pearl Road, Brunswick. There will be hands-on STEM activities for the whole family.
Colleen Schager, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception principal, said her school spent months preparing for its STEM certification. She said their next goal is seeking STREAM certification, which she said would make St. Mary?s the first school in the diocese to achieve both designations.
St. Mary?s plans to partner with institutions of higher learning and businesses including the Cleveland Clinic, Shearer Equipment
