The Georgia Department of Education has awarded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) certification to Dunwoody Elementary School.
Dunwoody is the fifth elementary school in the state to be awarded the designation.
To earn STEM certification, the school had to submit an application showing that it meets rigorous criteria, such as evidence of teacher collaboration, business and industry partnerships, high levels of math and science instruction, and an integrated, project-based STEM curriculum. A team from the Georgia Department of Education visited the school to observe the program.
“STEM is truly a paradigm shift in how we approach and teach science and math,” said Jennifer P. Sanders, principal of Dunwoody Elementary, in a press release. “It is a way to capture a child’s natural curiosity to help them learn.”
She said she has already received requests from other schools wanting to observe the STEM program at Dunwoody Elementary.
“As our teachers and students embarked upon the STEM certification effort, we began to see the enthusiasm and excitement from our children. Everyone saw the certification as a way to revolutionize the way we teach science and math,” Sanders said.