The Dayton Regional STEM School: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Are All Around Us

Parents and teachers have long sought to make school interesting and engaging, rather than a chore. Science and math are particularly troublesome for many students; one survey suggests that math is the least favorite subject of almost half of students.

One Dayton school is trying new types of curriculum design, academic standards, and teaching practices and having considerable success in making math and science fun and interesting. This is good news for both students and parents; science and engineering jobs are currently growing 70% faster than other occupations. In today’s economic climate, a math and science background is a serious advantage.

 The Dayton Regional STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, School just celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2013, the first from the school. STEM provides an immersive, problem-based curriculum to foster scientific and engineering expertise, creative and critical thinking, and teamwork. STEM lessons include Energy, Power, and Propulsion; Advanced Manufacturing and Materials; Medicine/Human Performance; Air Systems; Agricultural Engineering; and Environmental Engineering. As you can see, this isn’t your average curriculum. “Math” and “science” are no longer subjects in isolation, but tools for understanding the world.

A specially-crafted curriculum is not the only thing that sets the Dayton Regional STEM School apart. One unique STEM program is Air Camp, a weeklong aviation and aeronautics summer camp adventure at Wright University. Students take flight training, learn about the mechanics of aviation, meet Air Force research scientists, and more. STEM also participates in TechFest, a convention with hands-on experiences and exhibits with guest speakers ranging from astronauts to renowned classical guitar players. STEM is making science and math interesting and fun for kids and building the next generation of scientific genius.

For more information, check out the website at http://www.daytonstemschool.org/.