“The important thing is to never stop questioning.” Albert Einstein
What is STEM?
STEM is an integrated curriculum approach based on the idea of educating students in four interdisciplinary subjects — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM education fosters inquiry, logical reasoning, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. In STEM instruction, there should be a strong emphasis placed on the Design Thinking Process. Schools are encouraged to develop a common language for innovation.
Why is it important to promote a STEM focused curriculum?
By providing students with multiple opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they can develop a passion for it at an early age and possibly go on to pursue a job in a STEM field. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are growing at 17%, almost double the rate of other professions. Those students who have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can play a key role in the sustained growth of the economy and increase their potential for a successful future career. STEM education increases engagement in student learning, creates critical thinkers and problem finders, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators.
Where does STEM instruction take place?
Everywhere! There are opportunities for STEM education in every elementary, middle and high school in Arlington Public Schools. For students who have specific, STEM-focused learning goals, there are pathways that can be taken in order to pursue them. Students are encouraged to speak with their school guidance counselors to discuss appropriate courses to take beginning in middle school. Additionally, there are several unique opportunities offered to high school students through the Arlington Career Center. For more information about after-school and summer programs check out our STEM Camps & Programs page.
What does STEM-rich instruction look like?
![VEX League Day](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/VEX-League-Day-900x506.jpg)
![3D Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/3D-Design-900x707.jpg)
![Augmented Reality with Google Expeditions](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Augmented-Reality-with-Google-Expeditions-739x900.jpg)
![Designing and Building to help the Gingerbread Man Escape](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Designing-and-Building-to-help-the-Gingerbread-Man-Escape-675x900.jpg)
![Custom Designed Rockets with 3D Designed and Printed Nose Cones](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Custom-Designed-Rockets-with-3D-Designed-and-Printed-Nose-Cones-900x675.jpg)
![Forensic Technology working on a Crime Scene](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Forensic-Technology-working-on-a-22Crime-Scene22-900x675.jpg)
![Students Program and Test mBlock Robots](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/mBlock-Robots-675x900.jpg)
![Building MBlock Robots](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Building-MBlock-Robots-900x675.jpg)
![Measuring Environmental Conditions in the School Garden](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Measuring-Environmental-Conditions-in-the-School-Garden-675x900.jpg)
![NASA Goddard Trip Celebrating NASA's 60th Birthday](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/NASA-Goddard-Trip-Celebrating-NASAs-60th-Birthday-900x675.jpg)
![Rube Goldberg Simple Machine Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Rube-Goldburg-Simple-Machine-Design-675x900.jpg)
![VEX Robotics Competition Night](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/VRC-Night-900x675.jpg)
![Students take Virtual Field Trips through the Solar System](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/vr3-743x900.jpg)
![3D Design Process](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/3D-Design-Process-900x577.jpg)
![Design with Golden Ratio](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Design-with-Golden-Ratio-900x900.jpg)
![Cigar Box Guitar Project](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Cigar-Box-Guitar-Project-900x672.jpg)
![Building Cigar Box Guitars](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Building-Cigar-Box-Guitars-900x672.jpg)
![Working on their First Crime Scene](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Working-on-their-First-Crime-Scene--900x675.jpg)
![Hydroponic Lettuce Harvest](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Hydroponic-Lettuce-900x675.jpg)
![Laser Cutting Skeletons that move with a Servo Motor](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-25-at-9.19.42-AM-548x900.png)
![Testing the Robotic Program](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Testing-the-Robotic-Program-900x672.jpg)
![Tower Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Tower-Design-675x900.jpg)
![Students Travel "Virtually" to the bottom of the Ocean Floor](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/vr-900x675.jpg)
![Barcroft student led station modeling how water towers work](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/ScientistStation-900x675.jpg)
![SchoolsNext Design Challenge Green School Design 2018](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SchoolsNext-Design-Challenge-Green-School-Design-2018-1-900x672.jpg)
![Robotics Mentoring](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WHS-Robotic-Mentoring-900x675.png)
![Student Using ExplainEverything to Draw Themself as Aerospace Engineer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Aerospace-Engineer-900x672.png)
![Stop Light Programming](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Swansons-Stop-Light-Programming-e1518268329109-672x900.jpg)
![First Graders using Scratch to code at Randolph](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/FirstGraderscodingclub-900x672.png)
![Family and Consumer Science Recipe Testing](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Family-and-Consumer-Science-Recipe-Testing-e1518268253185-672x900.jpg)
![Student Drawing themself on ExplainEverything as a Chemical Engineer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/MeChemicalEngineer-900x672.png)
![Coding with Cups](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Coding-with-Cups-1-e1518269631577-675x900.jpg)
![Using a Loop to investigate Germs](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Observing-with-Loops-900x672.png)
![SchoolsNext Design Challenge Green School Design 2017](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SchoolsNext-Design-Challenge-Green-School-Design-2017-900x672.jpg)
![students investigating squid](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SquidAnatomy-900x672.png)
![Students testing robotic arm prototype](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Robotic-ARm-900x672.jpg)
![Ashlawn Students Gardening](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Portable-Network-Graphics-image-5F65763CE152-1-900x672.png)
![Students learning Parallax and Scribblers](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Scribblers-900x672.png)
![Student showing South African visitor how to program a sphero to understand sound](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SoundandSouthAfrica-900x672.png)
![Game Design Peer-to-Peer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Game-Design-Peer-to-Peer-Mentoring-900x672.jpg)
![Students urban planning with sphero](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SpheroUrbanPlanning-900x672.jpg)
![Students taking apart items to learn what they are made from](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/takeapart-900x759.jpg)
![Students learning Arduino at Thinkabit](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/ThinkabitArduinot-900x672.jpg)
![Designing Robotic Arms](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Designing-Robotic-Arms-900x672.jpg)
![Building a Robot](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Building-a-Robot-672x900.jpg)
![Students exploring how wells and ground water works](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Waterworks-3-900x672.jpg)
![Week of the Young Child learning about animals at the Career Center](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WeekoftheYoungChildCareerCenterAnimals-900x672.png)
![Traffic Light](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Traffic-Light-672x900.jpg)
![WL Drive Like a Girl Audi Showcase winners](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WL-Drive-Like-a-Girl-Audi-Showcase-winners-1-900x675.png)
![Girls showing thier built balloon cars](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Balloon-Cars-900x672.png)
![VEX League Day](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/VEX-League-Day-80x80.jpg)
![3D Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/3D-Design-80x80.jpg)
![Augmented Reality with Google Expeditions](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Augmented-Reality-with-Google-Expeditions-80x80.jpg)
![Designing and Building to help the Gingerbread Man Escape](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Designing-and-Building-to-help-the-Gingerbread-Man-Escape-80x80.jpg)
![Custom Designed Rockets with 3D Designed and Printed Nose Cones](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Custom-Designed-Rockets-with-3D-Designed-and-Printed-Nose-Cones-80x80.jpg)
![Forensic Technology working on a Crime Scene](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Forensic-Technology-working-on-a-22Crime-Scene22-80x80.jpg)
![Students Program and Test mBlock Robots](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/mBlock-Robots-80x80.jpg)
![Building MBlock Robots](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Building-MBlock-Robots-80x80.jpg)
![Measuring Environmental Conditions in the School Garden](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Measuring-Environmental-Conditions-in-the-School-Garden-80x80.jpg)
![NASA Goddard Trip Celebrating NASA's 60th Birthday](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/NASA-Goddard-Trip-Celebrating-NASAs-60th-Birthday-80x80.jpg)
![Rube Goldberg Simple Machine Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Rube-Goldburg-Simple-Machine-Design-80x80.jpg)
![VEX Robotics Competition Night](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/VRC-Night-80x80.jpg)
![Students take Virtual Field Trips through the Solar System](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/vr3-80x80.jpg)
![3D Design Process](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/3D-Design-Process-80x80.jpg)
![Design with Golden Ratio](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Design-with-Golden-Ratio-80x80.jpg)
![Cigar Box Guitar Project](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Cigar-Box-Guitar-Project-80x80.jpg)
![Building Cigar Box Guitars](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Building-Cigar-Box-Guitars-80x80.jpg)
![Working on their First Crime Scene](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Working-on-their-First-Crime-Scene--80x80.jpg)
![Hydroponic Lettuce Harvest](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Hydroponic-Lettuce-80x80.jpg)
![Laser Cutting Skeletons that move with a Servo Motor](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-25-at-9.19.42-AM-80x80.png)
![Testing the Robotic Program](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Testing-the-Robotic-Program-80x80.jpg)
![Tower Design](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Tower-Design-80x80.jpg)
![Students Travel "Virtually" to the bottom of the Ocean Floor](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2019/02/vr-80x80.jpg)
![Barcroft student led station modeling how water towers work](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/ScientistStation-80x80.jpg)
![SchoolsNext Design Challenge Green School Design 2018](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SchoolsNext-Design-Challenge-Green-School-Design-2018-1-80x80.jpg)
![Robotics Mentoring](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WHS-Robotic-Mentoring-80x80.png)
![Student Using ExplainEverything to Draw Themself as Aerospace Engineer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Aerospace-Engineer-80x80.png)
![Stop Light Programming](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Swansons-Stop-Light-Programming-e1518268329109-80x80.jpg)
![First Graders using Scratch to code at Randolph](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/FirstGraderscodingclub-80x80.png)
![Family and Consumer Science Recipe Testing](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Family-and-Consumer-Science-Recipe-Testing-e1518268253185-80x80.jpg)
![Student Drawing themself on ExplainEverything as a Chemical Engineer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/MeChemicalEngineer-80x80.png)
![Coding with Cups](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Coding-with-Cups-1-e1518269631577-80x80.jpg)
![Using a Loop to investigate Germs](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Observing-with-Loops-80x80.png)
![SchoolsNext Design Challenge Green School Design 2017](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SchoolsNext-Design-Challenge-Green-School-Design-2017-80x80.jpg)
![students investigating squid](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SquidAnatomy-80x80.png)
![Students testing robotic arm prototype](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Robotic-ARm-80x80.jpg)
![Ashlawn Students Gardening](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Portable-Network-Graphics-image-5F65763CE152-1-80x80.png)
![Students learning Parallax and Scribblers](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Scribblers-80x80.png)
![Student showing South African visitor how to program a sphero to understand sound](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SoundandSouthAfrica-80x80.png)
![Game Design Peer-to-Peer](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Game-Design-Peer-to-Peer-Mentoring-80x80.jpg)
![Students urban planning with sphero](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/SpheroUrbanPlanning-80x80.jpg)
![Students taking apart items to learn what they are made from](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/takeapart-80x80.jpg)
![Students learning Arduino at Thinkabit](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/ThinkabitArduinot-80x80.jpg)
![Designing Robotic Arms](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Designing-Robotic-Arms-80x80.jpg)
![Building a Robot](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Building-a-Robot-80x80.jpg)
![Students exploring how wells and ground water works](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Waterworks-3-80x80.jpg)
![Week of the Young Child learning about animals at the Career Center](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WeekoftheYoungChildCareerCenterAnimals-80x80.png)
![Traffic Light](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Traffic-Light-80x80.jpg)
![WL Drive Like a Girl Audi Showcase winners](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/WL-Drive-Like-a-Girl-Audi-Showcase-winners-1-80x80.png)
![Girls showing thier built balloon cars](/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/02/Balloon-Cars-80x80.png)