BWSD IS REIMAGINING STEM EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW’ S CAREERS
With an estimated 600,000 STEM jobs coming to Pennsylvania just in 2026, preparing our students to thrive in future careers that involve science, technology, engineering, and math is a guiding principle for every teacher in our District. To that end, BWSD math teachers and their colleagues in the Allegheny Intermediate Unit( AIU) recently took part in several real-world immersions hosted by local STEM employers.
“ Empowering and inspiring learners also requires empowering and inspiring teachers, so it’ s important that our teachers know what future careers they’ re preparing our students to succeed in, explained Jill Fleming-Salopek, BWSD Director of Curriculum Implementation and Learning Pathways.
For example, one of the most sought-after skills in STEM might surprise you: it’ s all about communication.
“ Employers are having trouble finding employees with soft skills,” said Pete Wagner, who teaches BCIT( business, computer, and information technology) at J. E. Harrison Middle School. His AIU cohort visited Eaton Electrical, which manufactures the breakers for breaker box panels.
These sentiments were echoed at Richmond Engineering Works, where BHS math teacher Rich Fochtman’ s cohort learned about designing and installing electrical panels.“ No two projects they do are the same because everything is custom designed
BWSD and AIU teachers and administrators visit Siemens Mobility on the Waterfront in Homestead to meet the customer’ s needs, so their employees must often try several different approaches before they find the right answer. That’ s why we need to encourage our kids to be lifelong learners, so they get comfortable with failing, learning from it, and trying again.”
This innovative spirit guides many recent BWSD initiatives, like exploring possible career interests during Highlander Time, incorporating the AI-based Snorkl app— which doesn’ t give students the answers, but instead helps them think through problems so they can find the answers on their own— and having students collaboratively design projects to develop soft skills like communication, adaptive learning, responsible collaboration, and critical thinking, which align with-K-12 competencies in the District’ s Journey of a Highlander,
“ Even STEM workplaces are evolving,” said Baldwin High School counselor Noel Santini. Her cohort visited the ARM Institute of Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, where VR goggles let them simulate operating facility machines.“ Modern manufacturing isn’ t dirty, it’ s much cleaner and more techforward, and you can learn on the job and build your career without needing an advanced degree. They showed us a slide that explained:‘ This is where the jobs will be in the future, but we can’ t fill these jobs fast enough, so please make sure your students and families know these jobs exist.’”
aldwin-Whitehall BALDWIN-WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
BWSD’ s Walk-a-Mile Immersion program is a transformative initiative designed to bridge the gap between educational leadership and the daily reality of student life. This year, 67 district and building leaders spent an entire school day walking alongside a student from arrival to dismissal. The experience replaced abstract assumptions with real-world data leaders can draw on when making decisions about curriculum and programming. By serving as listeners and learners, leaders gain insight into the positives and pressures that students traverse.
Brandon Whitfield, Co-Principal of Baldwin High School, was paired with an eleventh grade student for a day. He notes,“ My biggest takeaway was how much students carry with them throughout the day— academically, socially, and emotionally— often without adults fully realizing it. Experiencing the pace, expectations, and transitions firsthand reinforced how important it is that we are intentional about support, relationships, and flexibility during the school day.” This on-the-ground approach ensures that student needs, ranging from a sense of belonging to specific learning barriers, are captured and prioritized.
Kindergarten teacher Amy McDonough saw the impacts of initiatives the District has already implemented when she shadowed a high school student. She shares,“ it was interesting to see how block scheduling allowed for direct instruction as
36 BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL
WALK-A-MILE IMMERSION District Leaders Shadow Students to Gain Insight into Student Experience
well as hands-on tasks. This permitted students to collaborate and discuss the topics being taught with more of a concentrated focus on the topic. You could see how this type of schedule could lend itself to deeper learning.” Ultimately, the observations gained from these student-leader pairings serve as a catalyst for further innovation that directly benefits the student body. This data informs critical futurefocused decisions in areas such as instructional planning and student engagement. Through this immersion experience, Baldwin-Whitehall is propelling its goal of redesigning the learning environment with purpose. When our students are truly heard, our schools are not just improved but intentionally redesigned to support student growth and achievement.
Dr. Kara Eckert, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction and Learning, explains,“ the biggest piece of the work will come after the immersions when we all get together to share our insights of the experience in a workshop and identify areas of strength and weakness in our school system and school experience for students. This will allow us to lead and make decisions to enhance programming, culture and learning in Baldwin-Whitehall with empathy, and in alignment with our Journey of a Highlander.”