Scranton STEM Academy reports strong interest; staff cite grants and community partnerships

STEM Academy staff presented enrollment and program updates and described a series of grants and community partnerships that staff say are supporting growth.

The presenter identified in the transcript as Cat Miller described outreach steps and enrollment timelines: demo nights through January, a final parent night Feb. 1, applications due Feb. 16, a project-based assessment on March 14 and decision letters planned for mid-April. "We currently have, I believe, 110 applications for our 60 openings," Miller said, adding that the count includes students from district middle schools and private and cyber charter schools.

To increase non-district participation, the academy mailed roughly 215 postcards to sixth-graders outside the district and reported an increase in out-of-district applications to 15 so far. Miller described partnerships with Johnson College, Valley View School District, Geisinger Medical College (Reach High program), Lackawanna County Conservation District (a rain-garden design project) and a trout-in-the-classroom project supported by a LACCOAC grant.

Miller also said the program has been supported by outside grants. During Q&A, district staff said two grants secured with Miller's involvement will be on the agenda for approval: one of about $10,000 and another roughly $43,000 to support drones, iPads and a computer-science program for three middle schools. "One of them is $10,000 and the other, I believe, is around 43,000," a district staffer said; Miller confirmed the larger award will support a drones and computer-science program for the middle schools, not STEM Academy enrollment.

Miller said the STEM committee is reviewing ninth-grade pathway curricula and writing 10th-grade curriculum for students who will be 10th graders next year. She described project-based learning as a keystone of new STEELS standards and laid out ideas for a small multi-district robotics competition and expanded career-night events.

The committee did not take a formal vote. Staff said grant approvals will be considered at an upcoming Monday meeting and that presentation materials would be posted for review.