COLUMBUS - Columbus Public Schools and Central Community College are taking an innovating approach at educating the community's youth, with STEM on the G0.
CPS STEM Career Coordinator Heidi Elliot says they have assembled a group of teachers to work on various STEM based activities, that will be featured in STEM on the GO. The Idea of STEM on the GO, revolves around a trailer, that will be packed with activities and will be able to travel anywhere in or around the community.
"When we are working on these lessons, we want them to connect for our students. What they're already doing in the classroom, or what they've already learned, and how does that go into a career or a job, in the Columbus area," says Elliot.
Teachers developing the STEM activities are Elementary and Middle School level teachers, which is the demographic STEM on the Go is targeting, says Elliot.
"Teachers that we are piloting this year, are attending their third day of training. For the first two, we expose them to industry and have them start thinking about the lessons they would want to put into this trailer. Today they're piloting those lessons. They're actually getting their hands kind of dirty and determining, is this lesson going to be good in a classroom or at a community event," says Elliot.
Central Community College's Betsy Rall, a former teacher at CHS, says they hope the program will have a big impact on the local community.
"What we're trying to do is provide these lessons for Elementary students, and Middle School students, so that they can get exposed at an early age. Columbus High School has a nice STEM program already, but the interest needs to be there before they get to high school, so that's our goal," says Rall.
The program will continue to be developed throughout the Spring, and the group hopes that they can have the program up and running by the end of Spring. Elliot says organizations like the Columbus Area Future Fund helped donate money to make STEM on the Go, a reality.
CPS, CCC Innovating with S.T.E.M. on the Go
