STEAM Curriculum Advancement

Design Thinking Finds a Home at STA!

At St. Teresa’s Academy, we strive to connect our students to creativity, scientific inquiry, and keener insights rather than repetitive fact-based learning. Providing active learning opportunities such as project/problem-based learning is a powerful classroom process which uses real world problems to motivate students to identify and apply research and scientific concepts, to work collaboratively, and communicate effectively.  Additionally, active learning increases students’ retention and comprehension of the course material. It is a strategy that promotes lifelong habits of learning and reinforces skills our students need now and in the future. The following beliefs are fundamental to STEAM at STA.

• STEAM is a process of learning that elevates content knowledge.
• The principles of design thinking are an integral component of STEAM.
• There is a challenge for every student to solve.
• STEAM embraces the concept that there are multiple ways to arrives to multiple solutions.
• Students deserve time to explore what they can do and what they know.
• STEAM understands that failure and success are both necessary for growth.
• STEAM provides authentic ways for individuals to collaborate in bringing an idea to realization.
• Evidence of STEAM at STA can be seen throughout both course and extracurricular offerings including ninth-grade eCYBERMISSION and Kansas City Invention Content challenges, among others, and culminating in 12th grade with individual capstone projects.