STEAM Education Announced as 2018 Fund A Need

To keep pace our student learning, interests and exploration in STEAM and with the rapid evolution of these dynamic fields, St. Margaret’s recognizes the ongoing need to innovate and invest in these programs and to provide students inspiring, dynamic, state-of-the-art learning environments that reflect these exciting, hands-on fields of study. 
Advancing STEM learning and curriculum development has been a significant priority at St. Margaret’s for many years and continues today. STEM education is a major goal of the Strategic Plan aligning with the school’s focus on innovation to find new ways to bring together teaching and learning of these disciplines and to meet the nation’s high demand for students prepared in these fields for college and beyond.

In the past decade through tremendous community support and partnership, St. Margaret’s has expanded STEM learning through a variety of programs and initiatives that include, the Lower School ICE Lab, Upper School EDGE Lab, the Middle School Science Center and Maker Space, the creation of an endowed STEM Fellow and new multimedia and maker spaces in the Visual Arts Center. With the natural intersection of STEM and the fields of art and design, we have expanded our focus to STEAM--science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

Students have responded overwhelmingly with new levels of engagement and interest in STEAM courses, electives, advanced study, enrichment, clubs and competitions. Look no further than the recent Lower School STEAM Night that showcased inventive student projects from across all divisions including robotics, engineering, design and fabrication, physics, life sciences, chemistry, computer science and programming, earth science and horticulture. 

To keep pace with our students’ learning, interests and exploration in STEAM and with the rapid evolution of these dynamic fields, St. Margaret’s recognizes the ongoing need to innovate and invest in these programs and to provide students inspiring, dynamic, state-of-the-art learning environments that reflect these exciting, hands-on fields of study so they can learn, work and grow. 

As we continually assess our program, our greatest need is to improve and modernize the learning environments of the Lower School STEAM labs, and adding additional STEAM lab space in the Upper School to match the innovative teaching and learning happening today and to meet increasing student demand. We also see an opportunity to further enhance the convergence of STEAM learning in the Lower School by seamlessly connecting existing learning environments and breaking down physical barriers for flexibly in teaching, student collaboration and interdisciplinary studies.

Through the 2018 Fund A Need, we will reimagine and renovate the Lower School Science Lab and STEAM Learning Center, including the ICE Lab and the CUBE maker spaces. Further, in tandem with the ongoing renovation to the Upper School that includes the remodeling of all Science Labs, we will build an additional new Science Lab to meet the increased student demand for advanced study. All new spaces will be custom-designed learning environments and outfitted with modern, flexible furnishings and fixtures, as well as state-of-the-art lab equipment, technologies and tools meeting the curriculum and student learning where it is today and well positioned to support where it will evolve tomorrow.

At the Forever Plaid: La Belle Epoque fundraiser, the school premiered a film explaining the need for STEAM upgrades along with details of the project with faculty input. You can view the film below.

STEAM Project Highlights/Summary
  • Renovation of 3,300 square feet of STEAM learning spaces and environments.
  • New custom-designed modern Science Lab in the Upper School to support the growing high levels of student interest and enrollment. 
  • Reimagined and renovated Lower School Science Lab to support today’s science curriculum and teaching methods.
  • Redesign Lower School STEAM Center, including the Science Lab, ICE Lab and CUBE Maker Space, to connect the learning spaces allowing open flow between science, computer science, design and fabrication classes.
  • New, custom-designed learning environments equipped with modern furnishings, fixtures, and state-of-the-art industry technology, equipment and tools.
  • Additional funding for school-wide STEAM curriculum and initiatives through the STEAM Endowment (formerly STEM Endowment) led by the STEAM Fellow.
 
STEAM education was the 2018 Fund A Need at Forever Plaid: La Belle Epoque fundraiser. For more information and to support the 2018 Fund A Need, contact Executive Director of Advancement Jonathan Tufo at jonathan.tufo@smes.org or 949.661.0108 ext. 1318. 
Back
    • 2018 Fund a Need: STEAM Education

 
Translation? ¿Traducción? 翻译?:

An Independent Preschool Through Grade 12 College-Preparatory Day School in Orange County California

Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.