- Thursday, October 12 from 3-6 p.m. during parent/teacher conferences.
- The STEM lab is located in Perry Upper Elementary School and guests can see student projects on display, visit with staff, and learn more about the program. Parent/adult must accompany children in the STEM lab.
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Perry Schools Launches New STEM Program
Published October 10, 2023
Perry Schools officially rolled out their new STEM program at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. STEM education encompasses the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, offering students hands-on, interactive learning opportunities beyond their regular curriculum.
After many conversations and strategizing, Board of Education members and staff at Perry Upper Elementary School worked together to prepare a proposal to launch a new STEM lab, curriculum, and schedule. The proposal was presented to the Malzahn Family Affiliated Fund (MFAF) who awarded Perry Public Schools a $250,000 grant to fund the program startup, staff salaries, resources, and lab equipment.
The program includes a new STEM lab classroom, two dedicated staff members, the addition of STEM as an elective offered to 3rd-6th graders, regular STEM visits to lower elementary classes, and the integration of STEM opportunities across the district.
At the reins of the program is Amanda Wilson, former third grade teacher at Perry Elementary, who was promoted to the new District STEM Coordinator position. Crystal Deken, another former third grade teacher, was hired as a STEM teacher to lead STEM classes for 3rd through 6th grade students.
Wilson has a passion for STEM with an eager, spirited fire and love of teaching, while Deken comes with experience as she previously launched an after-school STEM program at Frontier Schools. “They make a dynamic duo and it’s rewarding to see them in their element,” commented Lori Justus, Perry Upper Elementary School Principal.
Wilson has built a relationship with the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) and the Department of Defense STEM education program, where she has received resources, guidance, and they also visited Perry last spring to host a STEM night for local families.
Perry is leading the STEM initiative in Oklahoma as one of the few schools, especially small rural schools, with a dedicated STEM lab and classes incorporated into the daily student schedule. Most Oklahoma schools with a STEM program are only offered after school.
When asked how the launch has been going, Wilson stated, “It's been a very different start to the school year from what I'm used to being in the regular classroom! Starting up our new STEM program has challenged me in new ways. While planning for activities, lessons, and events, I'm thinking about how we can serve as many students as possible.”
Deken’s schedule includes 6th grade classes everyday, 5th grade every other day, 3rd grade once a week and 4th grade once a week. Students are emerging into new projects that stimulate their brains to think outside of the box, work in teams, and use a variety of materials and building manipulatives. “While STEM units are fun, they are also challenging and kids are naturally inclined to get frustrated and give up easily, but the mantra in my classroom is ‘persevere’ - because we can all do hard things, it just may take some encouragement, critical thinking and creativity,” Deken said.
Wilson’s schedule includes working in the lab with upper elementary students, but she also spends a large portion of her time visiting Pre-K through 2nd grade classrooms. She plans to visit each class twice a month and presents a different lesson each time to introduce lower elementary students to STEM.
Their goals for this year are to maximize learning opportunities for as many students as possible, through the challenges and interactive learning that STEM provides. Wilson added, “I want, more than anything, to see our students overcoming challenges in their learning, by way of STEM practices. My hope is that our STEM classes provide a space for all students to feel successful and creative, to challenge their abilities, and expand their depth of knowledge.”
In the first eight weeks of school, students in Pre-K through sixth grade express excitement with the new STEM learning opportunities. They are jumping right in and pushing themselves to achieve the lesson goals. These lessons are fostering the development of real-world skills and have the potential to inspire future careers in STEM fields.
Curriculum includes a variety of engineering units where students are given scenarios to design and build items, such as a survival unit where they researched camping in the wilderness and were asked to make shelters and a backpack to carry everything they’d need to survive. Students will also explore technology units where they will get to use a 3D printer, mini robots, tinker CAD, and coding.
Wilson added, “Through STEM, we are also able to address our feelings, such as being frustrated when our plan is not working, or being humble when our design works but a classmate's design does not. STEM has already been so much more than I even imagined, and I am SO excited to continue to build this program!”
Future plans are to one day add another STEM teacher dedicated to serving junior high students so that elementary students moving up can continue expanding their STEM education. Courses currently offered in the high school by Mr. Zagar’s technology education is considered STEM with robotics, design, architecture, construction, software, and more.
The excitement is just beginning and Perry Public Schools is grateful to be a recipient of the MFAF grant, which made this program possible.
During the upcoming parent-teacher conferences, families are invited to attend the STEM lab open house on Thursday, October 12 from 3-6 p.m. The STEM lab is located in Perry Upper Elementary School and guests can see student projects on display, visit with staff, and learn more about the program.
