By Penny Rodrick-Williams, Science Department Chair
STEM is an approach to learning that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
We frequently hear the term “STEM,” and that is an essential part of our students’ education. At Tower Hill, we strive to combine tradition with innovation and foster the students’ character along with their curiosity. Naturally, STEM fits into our approach and is vital for preparing our students for their futures.
In 1999, US Secretary of Education Richard Riley is attributed with saying, “none of the top 10 jobs available in the year 2010 exist today, and these are jobs that will require workers to use technology that has not yet been invented to solve problems we have not yet thought about.” This quote is likely more true today.
A strong STEM education will equip our students with the necessary tools for those jobs. But these same skills will help with the reasoning and analysis that they will do every day. We actually incorporate the principles of STEM into almost everything that we do in our lives, whether we are following a recipe, using technology or solving problems. STEM is something that goes well beyond the classroom and prepares our students to engage in global conversations around cybersecurity and climate change. STEM encourages students to be creative and develop new solutions.
STEM education brings populations and disciplines together. At Tower Hill, our programs encourage all students to be involved in activities such as robotics and engineering. And STEM connects purposefully with other fields of study. It incorporates with the arts (STEAM), it adds in research (STREAM), it considers economic and technological advancements (STEEM), it focuses on the intersection of engineering and mathematics in healthcare (STEMM) and it even includes the humanities (SHTEAM), allowing us to holistically understand the cultural and societal impacts of science and technology.
The Gerald M. Lemole, MD Science Center - The Hive, our new science space, is perfect for connecting disciplines and departments in this very way. The open space between the classrooms, equipped with benches and screens, allows for collaborations and discussions. Both the exterior learning gardens and the interior tower gardens can assist students with experiments like water filtration systems that address larger issues like concerns around water scarcity.
While we may already recognize many of the reasons why STEM education is important, the most prominent is the resilience and confidence that the students develop. Beginning in their Tower Tot classrooms, our students learn to be problem solvers, critical thinkers and informed citizens. They can take on difficult challenges in everything they do with conviction and assurance. The students learn to make observations, ask questions, overcome obstacles and persist. They make mistakes and try again. They spend hours working through computer code and searching for patterns in data that they have collected. They don’t give up. Students who may begin thinking they aren’t a “science or math person” can feel like they have the tools to solve many problems. They take ownership of their learning and their accomplishments and use their experience to become leaders.
And, in the end, they are proud of their efforts. Just ask Middle School students John Nyabiosi ’31, Lizzie DiSabatino ’31, Henry Loeper-Viti ’30, Ernie DiSabatino ’29 and Jack D’Emilio ’29. They proudly represented Tower Hill at the New Castle County Science Fair as they showcased their projects. And these outstanding individuals are just a small sampling of the amazing students who are embracing STEM challenges and facing them with confidence.
As we look toward the future, we will continue our STEM efforts and expand our program as we generate and respond to innovation in all disciplines. We will refine our STEM curriculum in each division. Our Math League, Science Olympiad, Lego and FIRST Robotics teams will continue to engage students and thrive in competitions. Our research program will encourage creativity and inquiry. The Tower Hill STEM program will instill skills in our students that will help them in their STEM classrooms, and other disciplines, but also in college and job interviews, leadership roles and their world beyond school.
