Edgewood Middle School Earns IDOE STEM Certification
May 10, 2023 at 4:25 p.m.
Edgewood Middle School Earns IDOE STEM Certification
By Staff Report-
This certification puts Edgewood in the company of Claypool, Jefferson, Madison and Washington elementary schools, all of whom are also certified in STEM, according to a news release from Warsaw Community Schools.
Dr. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community Schools superintendent, said, "We are so proud of Edgewood and all the work by their teachers, staff and administration to achieve this state recognition. It has been a team approach with the goal of continuing our corporation's K-12 STEM programming and our local students will receive the benefit of this dedicated work. Warsaw Schools has proven itself as a national leader in STEM education and this recognition is another step in that continued growth to ensure we are meeting the needs of our local community industrial needs.”
Established in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools that prioritize STEM education and engage in innovative, non-traditional teaching methods, including project-based learning, community engagement and cross-curricular collaboration. STEM Certified schools are held to rigorous educational standards, and are expected to excel under the system of accountability set by the state.
The certification process for Edgewood Middle School required teachers and administrators to complete an application and review process. They received a perfect score from the IDOE site visit on March 15 and a near-perfect score of 74 out of 75 on the IDOE's certification report. This achievement highlights Edgewood’s commitment to focusing on 21st century skills, cross-curricular collaboration and college and career readiness.
Over the past several years, Edgewood's teachers have received project-based learning (PBL) training and designed cross-curricular PBL units. Additionally, the school's STEM leadership team and community partners have played an instrumental role in the progress toward STEM certification. With this achievement, Edgewood Middle School will continue to offer students a robust, innovative and engaging STEM curriculum that prepares them for success in a rapidly evolving workforce, stated the release.
A podcast at WCS was designed to tell the story of Warsaw Schools and inform the community about the great things happening to serve students. This past week, Edgewood Principal JoElla Hauselman and Project Lead The Way teacher Abbi Richreek shared about Edgewood Middle School’s STEM journey. Visit the TigerCast site to hear their story at https://www.buzzsprout.com/2018876/12776071.
In addition to the programming provided at the STEM certified buildings, WCS’ WILL (Warsaw Inquiry Learning Lab) bus is a mobile lab that serves as an interactive mobile STEM laboratory for students. WCS veteran teacher of 34 years, Dan Graney, has been recently hired as WILL Bus STEM coach and instructor. Dan also serves as the Warsaw Community Education Association (WCEA) vice president and the elementary summer school program administrator.
This certification puts Edgewood in the company of Claypool, Jefferson, Madison and Washington elementary schools, all of whom are also certified in STEM, according to a news release from Warsaw Community Schools.
Dr. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community Schools superintendent, said, "We are so proud of Edgewood and all the work by their teachers, staff and administration to achieve this state recognition. It has been a team approach with the goal of continuing our corporation's K-12 STEM programming and our local students will receive the benefit of this dedicated work. Warsaw Schools has proven itself as a national leader in STEM education and this recognition is another step in that continued growth to ensure we are meeting the needs of our local community industrial needs.”
Established in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools that prioritize STEM education and engage in innovative, non-traditional teaching methods, including project-based learning, community engagement and cross-curricular collaboration. STEM Certified schools are held to rigorous educational standards, and are expected to excel under the system of accountability set by the state.
The certification process for Edgewood Middle School required teachers and administrators to complete an application and review process. They received a perfect score from the IDOE site visit on March 15 and a near-perfect score of 74 out of 75 on the IDOE's certification report. This achievement highlights Edgewood’s commitment to focusing on 21st century skills, cross-curricular collaboration and college and career readiness.
Over the past several years, Edgewood's teachers have received project-based learning (PBL) training and designed cross-curricular PBL units. Additionally, the school's STEM leadership team and community partners have played an instrumental role in the progress toward STEM certification. With this achievement, Edgewood Middle School will continue to offer students a robust, innovative and engaging STEM curriculum that prepares them for success in a rapidly evolving workforce, stated the release.
A podcast at WCS was designed to tell the story of Warsaw Schools and inform the community about the great things happening to serve students. This past week, Edgewood Principal JoElla Hauselman and Project Lead The Way teacher Abbi Richreek shared about Edgewood Middle School’s STEM journey. Visit the TigerCast site to hear their story at https://www.buzzsprout.com/2018876/12776071.
In addition to the programming provided at the STEM certified buildings, WCS’ WILL (Warsaw Inquiry Learning Lab) bus is a mobile lab that serves as an interactive mobile STEM laboratory for students. WCS veteran teacher of 34 years, Dan Graney, has been recently hired as WILL Bus STEM coach and instructor. Dan also serves as the Warsaw Community Education Association (WCEA) vice president and the elementary summer school program administrator.
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