IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 30

STEM Squires Program Begins in K-4 Elementary Schools or win N OR WI N SC HO OL D IS TRI C T NE WS STEM Squires is a new program offered through the Norwin School District at the K-4 levels to increase student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and careers. The STEM Squires goal is to encourage student discovery in these fields and to help make connections to lifetime careers. Students are encouraged to either complete a project from one of the STEM categories that coincides with their grade level, or design a creative project of their own. Each project has grade-level-specific guidelines for students to follow to meet project completion requirements. Students need to include a list of resources used in their research. Examples include Web sites, interviews, visitations, books, videos, etc. Students are being supported throughout the program by two Lead STEM teachers, along with a STEM Committee comprised of the Principal and various teachers in each building. Students have the opportunity to present and explain their completed quests to the STEM Committee. The presentation must include a visual aid, such as a poster, pictures, PowerPoint, video or audio recording, or model. Students may choose to complete projects in several categories. The STEM Squire badge for Science will be achieved through participation in the annual Science Fair. With successful completion of each quest, the student will earn parts of a shield and ultimately the title, “STEM Squire." Many elementary children are excited about the new program and are voluntarily choosing to participate. High School Student Wins “Great American Chef Cook-Off” Kiarah Nelson, a Norwin High School twelfth-grade student, was part of a team that won first place at the “Great American Chef Cook-Off” hosted by the American Academy of Culinary Arts at Pittsburgh Technical Institute in November. Kiarah,