Dive Brief:
- Randy Wilkes, superintendent of Phenix City Schools in Alabama, is implementing a STEM-based plan to help retain student enrollment while injecting ambition into students from low-income communities.
- His initiative, eSchoolNews reports, has brought 1:1 tech in the form of iPads to students, as well as a new tech center financed by the business community and devoted to STEM learning.
- Beneath the tech, Wilkes says that the most important part of the initiative is the philosophy of inquiry-based instruction, so that students are empowered and motivated to learn.
Dive Insight:
In an interview with eSchoolNews, Wilkes said, "There's not a better way to change the economic climate of a city than through education. The number one job in Phenix City is that of a meat cutter, or a meat trimmer, which earns $11.50 an hour. The number two job is that of a cashier, which makes $9.50 an hour. The jobs of tomorrow, the jobs that our students will see as opportunities for change, are all somewhat STEM related."
In this case, funding from the business community helped Wilkes' district fund the new STEM center by selling name rights to classrooms, labs, and to the new Dyer Family STEM building, which had a $150,000 price tag. In other regions, like Norwalk, California, districts have signed on to use prefab STEM and STEAM curriculum. More federal money is also now available to support STEM in schools, due to the STEM Education Act of 2015 and additional grants aimed at minorities.
