School receives STEM designation

Lorain County is one of the few Ohio counties to receive next year a new STEM or STEAM school designation through the Ohio Department of Education.

St. Joseph Parish School of Amherst, 175 St. Joseph Drive, was the only school in the county to receive a STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, designation.

Ohio’s STEM Committee recently approved 11 new STEM and STEAM schools, according to ODE.

Holly Lavender, a lead consultant of STEM and STEAM at ODE, said St. Joseph, which is K-8, is the third school in the county to become a STEM school.

The other two STEM schools are Ranger HighTech Academy in North Ridgeville and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception School in Avon.

St. Joseph Principal Amy Mackruski said she learned of the approval April 27, and the news felt amazing to her.

“We feel so blessed to have this opportunity of highquality STEM education for our students,” she said. “It really is going to help increase engagement across all discipline areas. (STEM) really empowers them to be creative problem solvers.”

Mackruski said STEM can engage the community around the students.

She said the addition of STEM to the school is helping it fulfill the school mission: to provide rigorous curriculum rooted in faith in an environment that fosters self-reliance.

Students are immersed in social justice teachings and 21st century learning to help them achieve their maximum potential, according to their website.

St. Joseph only applied for the STEM designation, although the school does focus on art, Mackruski said.

Lavender said STEAM is completely new to Ohio this year; adding more emphasis in the arts area.

Only three schools in three counties received the STEAM designation.

Lavender said the STEM and STEAM models have a great project learning approach.

“(STEAM) can reach a broader interests of students,” she said. “The arts are really beneficial in design-thinking and can promote many students to learn something new.”

The STEM and STEAM programs are provided for the education of students in grades K-12, she said.