Faces of STEAM

Groton Central School District is offering the region’s students exciting Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) opportunities in its newly renovated STEAM learning center space at Groton Jr-Sr High School.  The District, in partnership with TST-BOCES, has created a satellite STEAM Academy where students from the nine component school districts may attend a half day academic program in both their junior and senior years of high school.

Research has shown that emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, while promoting the arts through creativity, innovation and design, is critical to getting students ready for careers in the 21st Century.

Students who participate in this program are exposed to career pathways in a variety of STEAM fields. Courses encourage student inquiry through engaging curriculum and relevant project-based experiences and self-directed learning activities. To make the learning as authentic as possible, the program has built partnerships with various community businesses and organizations, and includes field trips, guest speakers, and job shadows.

In addition, students benefit from in-the-field instructors, who present students with real life industry problems for them to solve within the instructional capacity of the field of study they are participating in. Students are able to make clear connections between what they are learning in the classroom and observing outside the classroom.

Since part of the STEAM Learning Center’s focus is on preparing students for jobs of the future, the program also includes a college and career prep component. Students are exposed to resume writing, college and job application processes, interviewing skills and communication skills, to name a few, so that upon completion of the program they can choose from three different career pathways: entry into the workforce, attendance at a technical school of study, or entry into a two or four-year college degree program.