Perry’s Thriving STEM Program is Setting the Standard
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program at Perry Public Schools continues to grow and provide unique opportunities for students. The program is making an impact across the district and is excited to share the following updates.
Collaborative Boat Building Project
This coming up Monday, October 14, students will put their handmade boats to the test to see if they’ll float in the Noble County YMCA swimming pool. 6th grade students will be split into teams and partner with high school student council members to work together on this project. They are tasked with building a boat out of duct tape and cardboard (donated by Ditch Witch).
High School Aviation Class
Perry High School has 10 freshmen enrolled in the new Aviation and Aerospace elective. In the first few months of the class, students have been immersed into the new aviation curriculum (provided by AOPA) and enjoyed a visit to the Perry Airport to see aircrafts and learn about airport operations. Instructed by Mr. Ron Dwyer, the aviation program has built a great partnership with local Perry Airport manager, Terence Hulet, who played a major role in bringing this class to life.
The class recently received a donation of two gently-used desktop aviation simulators for students to utilize at school.
In addition, Perry Schools was also one of only 12 schools in the state to receive a $22,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) for aerospace education. This grant will fund a brand new simulator, wind tunnel, and aircraft maintenance tool sets.
Another interesting activity for the Aviation class is that they have been nominated and sponsored by OSU CEAT to compete in the Speedfest contest. Speedfest is an annual aerospace design competition and exposition organized by the OSU School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The students will build a remote airplane and demo it, competing against other high school teams, at the unmanned Stillwater airport, scheduled for April 25-27, 2025. All supplies will be covered by the sponsorship.
Junior High STEM
The launch of STEM classes at the junior high school, led by Mr. Laddie Rupp, are going really well. 7th and 8th grade students are engaged and learning to think outside the box as they incorporate real-world scenarios in their projects.
All STEM lab supplies and resources at the junior high have been fully funded by CareerTech grants.
Greenhouse Project at Perry Ag Building
Plans are underway to build a greenhouse at the Ag Building. This will be a huge benefit to the horticulture class and agriculture education students in the future. Stay tuned for more updates on this as the project progresses.
Setting the Standard
Perry’s STEM program is gaining statewide attention, as educators from other school districts have reached out to learn more about what is going on at PPS. Recently, a 6A school visited Perry to get a tour of our STEM labs and discuss the program with Mrs. Amanda Wilson, PPS STEM Coordinator. They spent the day asking questions and collecting intel to take back in hopes of starting a STEM program at their school.
“It’s incredible that a school our size is leading the way in STEM education and can share our experience with other school districts,” says Mrs. Wilson. “The past year and a half of introducing and growing the STEM program has been fun and rewarding, and I can’t wait to see how our class offerings continue to expand. Our district is committed to being a top STEM school, and we are well on our way!”