The Growth of STEM in Our Schools
eters Township
PETERS TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
The world of education is filled with buzz words , but few have caused as much stir as the STEM movement in schools across the country . STEM is an acronym for Science , Technology , Engineering and Math education . Educators focus on these areas not only because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for student success , but also because these fields are deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively .
“ This is not a new concept to our schools ,” said Dr . Jennifer Murphy , Assistant Superintendent of Peters Township Schools . “ But this focus and recognition from the corporate world has helped us to bring more programs and support into our classrooms to enhance our offerings .”
One important element of STEM education is bridging the gap between education and what business and industry need employees to be able to do .
“ Our overall goal is to provide our students for success beyond high school ,” said Peters Township High School Principal Lori Pavlik . “ Preparing them for these highdemand job opportunities and ensuring that they have the skills to do well in those fields is key .”
5TH Grade Roller Coasters
At the High School this year , students are using ANSYS AIM and SpaceClaim programs to build and test designs of steel structure systems for an earthquake resistant building . ANSYS has partnered with universities to bring their program to students at the collegiate level in the past , but their partnership with Peters Township High School is the first of its kind at the secondary level .
This amazing software is first made available to students in the introductory technology education class . The goal is simple - grab the students early and keep them interested in STEM learning . Following the introductory class at PTHS , students have the opportunity to choose from 13 classes including Agile Robotics , Architectural Engineering , Production Technology and Technology Applications .
“ In past , students have produced drawings of their design and then built a scaled model to test on an earthquake simulator ,” said technology education teacher Christopher Allen . “ The software significantly cuts down on time and materials and give
74 Peters Township
ANSYS Software at PTHS
PTMS Leaders of Coding help their peers in a week of programming events .
NAO Robots at PTMS
students the opportunity to test , improve on their design , and test again .”
Peters Township High School is also one of five local schools working with the FBI to create a cyber security program . Three new courses will be created in partnership with the FBI and the University of Pittsburgh to help prepare students for this high demand field .