STEM: The future is bright at APS

The Texas Mobile STEM Lab visited our campus this week! This visit was made possible at no cost to us through a grant I (LaVon Francis) wrote last year through Learning Undefeated and the Texas Education Agency. I am the STEAM and Gifted and Talented teacher at Atlanta Primary School.

The Learning Undefeated team hosted 22 classes of grades Kindergarten through Second Grade throughout the week. On board, students listened to a fairy tale and then participated in a STEM challenge related to the story.

Desurae Matthews and Katie Askelson spoke to students about careers in STEM. They also coached the classes through the Engineering Design Process as they built a little pig’s house, Jack’s beanstalk, or a chair for Baby Bear. Students used their creativity and critical thinking skills as they collaborated in teams. Additionally, students had to use tokens to purchase materials they wished to construct their projects with and had to budget accordingly to make their project successful.

Our students are getting prepared for jobs that don’t even exist today. Being able to problem solve, work with others, and use their creativity are skills that will definitely take them far in any career they choose. The future is bright at APS! I have been so blessed this week aboard the Mobile STEM Lab and cannot wait to keep this learning momentum up in my STEAM classroom at Atlanta Primary School.