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St. Vincent-St. Mary redesignated as Ohio’s only STEM Catholic high school

News of the Diocese

February 3, 2025

“We are honored to be Ohio’s only STEM-designated Catholic high school,” said Erin Faetanini, principal of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. “This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our talented students, faculty and staff. It affirms our commitment to providing a dynamic, cross-disciplinary education that prepares students not only for success in STEM careers but also for the real-world challenges they will encounter. In the Marianist tradition, we continue to focus on educating the whole person, equipping students with critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills needed to thrive in today’s changing world.”

STVM earned the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) redesignation after completing a rigorous process that is required every five years. The designation is in collaboration with the Ohio STEM Learning Network and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, which oversees the designation for all Ohio schools.

Faetanini said the redesignation “reaffirms STVM’s continued commitment to providing an innovative, high-quality education that blends academic excellence with our Marianist Catholic tradition.”

She said STVM’s STEM designation goes beyond traditional classroom learning by providing a student-centered approach that emphasizes creativity, innovation and real-world problem-solving. The curriculum empowers students to engage in inquiry-based learning that challenges them to think critically and collaborate across disciplines, ensuring they develop the higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills essential for success in a rapidly evolving world.

“Throughout the STEM redesignation process, school leadership has remained committed to upholding our Marianist Catholic identity, ensuring that our faith is at the heart of everything we do and serving as a model for integrating Catholic-Christian values with STEM culture,” Faetanini said. “By revitalizing a STEM mindset within our educational philosophy, we continue to fulfill our mission to ‘Educate for Adaptation and Change,’ a core value of Marianist Catholic education.”

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School is a four-year, coeducational, college preparatory, Marianist sponsored and STEM-designated Catholic high school. It has been part of the Akron community for more than 125 years and has more than 19,000 alumni. Click here for more information.

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