Attribute 6.2
Recognize Underrepresented Students
Model: Several guidelines and /or practices focus on increasing long-term participation by students from underrepresented groups in the STEM education pipeline.
At Hendersonville Elementary we create opportunities for all students to participate in STEM lessons. Not only in the classroom, but school wide, through STEM lessons, we are an environment for all to collaborate, create, critically think and communicate. Our school has the mindset that it is important to expose the students when they are young to STEM activities and learning (ex. Hour of Code , Bonus Learning Time classes, performing arts, Cubcats Coding
etc.). Hendersonville Elementary School’s guidelines focus on increasing long term retention in the STEM pipeline participation by students from underrepresented groups include:
-
Continue to seek business sponsors for students to participate in Engineering for Kids after school program
-
Offer scholarships for students to participate in Bonus Learning Time Classes
-
Offer scholarships for students to participate in Girls on the Run Club
-
Continue to have career fairs and include professionals from all different backgrounds
-
Invite motivational speakers from diverse backgrounds to speak to classrooms each year
-
Work with neighboring school to offer transportation
-
Partner with Boys and Girls club
-
Partnering with Hands-on to introduce 3D printing to girls in 5th grade. Currently Hands-on is targeting middle school girls with 3-D printing because research points to this as the time when girls decide whether or not to pursue a STEM career.
-
Encourage and support students to enter math/science fairs- Last year we had a State Science Fair Winner!
-
Specific to Title 1 targeted population -continue to have family game nights, offer tutoring after school
-
Continue to have school wide collaborative STEM units
-
Continue to host Hour of Code
-
Continue with Cubcats Coding afterschool Google CS-First Club. We have chosen themes that are traditionally attractive to girls, such as Fashion Design and Friendships. Currently girls make up 25% of our coding club.
-
Students in our special needs classrooms participate in the Gingerbread Competition at The Grove Park Inn. This year, students created buildings that represent Henderson County.
We also enjoy inviting STEM professionals in different careers to come and speak with our students. The excitement on their faces when they realize they can have a specific occupation when they grow up is phenomenal. Below are pictures from our career fair.
We asked several STEM-related businesses for support in sponsoring students for special STEM activities such as Engineering for Kids and Bonus Learning Time, including: Progress Energy, Borg Warner, Eaton, Meritor, Continental, Linamar, Kyocera, GE, Nexus Technologies, Kimberly Clark, WilsonArt, WGLA and PSNC Energy
Our school hosted the Hour of Code. We chose to implement this because we feel that this showed students how coding is used in the outside world and increased long-term participation by students.
These are male and female student comments about the Hour of Code.
Every nine weeks, Hendersonville Elementary School offers Bonus Learning Time (BLT) classes for our students. These classes focus on specific content areas while incorporating STEM activities. Professionals within the community teach the classes.
Above is the Engineering for Kids flyer and the sponsorship letter that was sent asking for donations to ensure all students had the opportunity to participate.
The Mystery Club is offered to fifth grade girls
A Hendersonville Elementary student won the science fair.
This is the pipeline from Hendersonville Elementary to Hendersonville Middle of students participating in STEM related clubs.
This is a chart that shows the proficiency of students on EOG assessments organized into subgroups. As you can see, scores have increased by five to ten points for each subgroup from 2015 to 2016 because of our STEM implementation.