The STEM Academy is a national, not-profit organization providing STEM education curricular programs for K-12 schools which are designed to capture all students. Course curriculum is rigorous, innovative and comprehensive. Curriculum was collaboratively developed by K-12 teachers, university educators, engineering and biomedical professionals and in response to the two-year study performed under the auspices of the National Academy of Engineering and the Board of Science Education at the Center of Education (part of the National Research Council), " Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects".

The STEM Academy was designed to capture and retain student interest in (K-12) STEM education while capturing student performance outcomes. The STEM Academy mission is to prepares students to be competent, capable citizens in a technology-dependent society through comprehensive student assessments including traditional tests, project based learning presentations and portfolios. This STEM centric program is focused on standard based foundations, gender awareness, socio-economic concerns and general learner needs to engage as many learners as possible. Program develops engineering pipeline by featuring a main line education approach providing STEM education for all students. The STEM Academy courses feature a blended learning approach featuring video tutorials, text books and challenging hands on exercises to Establish Engineering Habits of the Mind.

The STEM Academy is a comprehensive, turnkey program featuring a strong instructor training program and our consultative approach for implementation strategies will ensure your schools success. Our program development team consists of 22 educational professionals from the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics will consult your school on successful implementation strategies to de-silo traditional science, technology, engineering and math programs creating a cohesive learning experience for students. All of our course content and materials have been created and approved by our development team of professional educators. Teachers and students use the same tools utilized by industry professionals in engineering design, civil engineering, architecture, robotics, electronic, material science and bio-technology with an emphasis on sustainability. In the United States is it estimatedsustainable design will create 4 million new jobs by 2012. Dr. Robert Wicklein is our lead consultant relative to technological solutions as it relates to sustainability. Dr. Wicklein is the principal investigator for the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education.

The goal is to include everyone in STEM education, not just the top 10-15% of students when they are Juniors or Seniors. Our program features a series of courses including discovery based courses at the K-8 level, broad mainline education to advanced courses at the 9-12 level. The program has clearly defined learning outcomes, student competency assessments, certification and captures student performance outcomes. The STEM Academy student assessment lead consultant is Dr. Stacey Neuharth-Prittchett who belongs to the Applied Cognition and Development Program in Educational Psychology and is a Fellow in the Institute for Behavioral Research at the University of Georgia.

The STEM Academy curriculum is standard enough to assure high-quality content exchange and flexible enough to allow for school districts and states to modify to meet their particular needs. Our curriculum culminates with students applying real-world application of their STEM education with hand-on activities and maps to the following national standards: International Technology Education Association - ITEA; Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology - ABET; National Science Teachers Association -NSTA; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - NCTM. The STEM Academy program development director, Dr. Alan Gomez sat on the above mentioned NAE committee. Dr. Gomez is currently the CTE Director for Sun Prairie School District and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin in the College of Engineering.

The STEM Academy mainline education approach will create engineering pipeline which is prepared to meet the demands of industry today and tomorrow. Students will be prepared for post-secondary engineering education, internships and career opportunities.

K-12 Program Overview Video Presentation