This video features Jonathan Perrone. Mr. Perrone now teaches middle school STEAM at Esperanza Community School!
1. Our students learn best when skills are taught and mastered through integrated projects.
In order for students to pursue and persist in high-level technical courses, they must develop an identity as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students by middle school. [1]
We create opportunities and experiences for students to develop this identity by:
Immersing students in a STEM culture to create a sense of belonging.
Connecting students to STEM professional role models in their community.
Providing access to the highest quality math and science instruction.
High school students continue to develop their identity by being immersed in real-world problem solving opportunities. From working alongside engineers to charge a cellphone from a bicycle, to developing their writing skills to create a marketing campaign to sell the charger, students experience the value of the skills they learn.
“I have seen excellent integrated instruction being done throughout Maricopa County. What we are doing differently is making that learning available all day every day to students who didn’t think that kind of school was available to them.”
-Steve Watson, Maricopa County School Superintendent
2. Learning happens everywhere.
Field trips improve student learning. They expose students to new experiences, develop vocabulary, increase interest in the topic being explored. [2]
We value getting students out of the classroom and into the community. Trips to museums, business and outdoor education facilities are a regular part of our instruction for all grade levels.
All of our teachers are encouraged and supported to offer after-school clubs which engage students in high-interest topics. The topics come from the passions and talents of the teachers as well as expressed interests of the students.
Students from Esperanza Community School volunteer at Feed My Starving Children in Mesa, Arizona.
3. When students are engaged they are more likely to succeed.
A recent survey of high school students who consider dropping out states that 42% do not see the value of the work they do in school. [2]
Often these students do not have an identity as learners or role models that set the expectation that higher education is valuable or attainable.
Engaging disengaged students is critical to ensuring they attain enough education to provide choices for their future success and satisfaction. We engage students by:
Making the content relevant to their lives.
Structuring ongoing opportunities for student participation.
Fostering a positive—yet challenging—learning environment.
Freshmen and Sophomore students are immersed in a STEM culture which enables them to explore robotics, rocketry, graphic design, music production and business/marketing.
High school junior and seniors are given the opportunity to explore state of the art career and technical education options at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). Half of the school day is spent at EVIT learning hands-on, tangible skills in the career areas of choice.