WCDS participates in ‘Roots for STEM’ project to increase early childhood participation in higher-level thinking and creativity.
Throughout this school year, Wheeling Country Day School has received funding from The Sprout Fund and Remake Learning Network to increase early childhood teacher and student comfort in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) disciplines. Using STEM activities, the youngest students at Wheeling Country Day School have transformed into inventors, storytellers, and environmentalists by searching for patterns and exploring nature in motion. This project has focused on our youngest students, with an emphasis on creating with technology rather than just consuming it. While “most schools and camps leave the higher level thinking and problem finding to the oldest students…we feel the youngest students are more than capable of these skills with the support of teachers and parents.” says Laura Reed, JK4 teacher and the project manager on this program. “The idea that our students would thrive with this opportunity was manifest when our early childhood students participated in the Hour of Code last year. Their enthusiasm and engagement was palpable and we knew we needed to further their exposure…in the STEM disciplines.”
Students have been introduced to robotics, coding, engineering, and the natural sciences through hands-on experimentation and digital documentation. Oglebay Institute and West Liberty University College of Education, as well as the West Liberty Center for Arts and Education have provided invaluable assistance as public partners in this project.
Remake Learning is a professional network supporting the people, organizations, and ideas shaping the future of teaching and learning in the greater Pittsburgh region. Representing more than 250 organizations including schools & universities, museums & libraries, afterschool & community centers, educational technology companies & local philanthropies, Remake Learning Network members are working together to inspire a generation of lifelong learners in Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and beyond.
The Sprout Fund supports the Remake Learning Network by funding new learning initiatives, building a community of practice, and sharing the story of learning innovation in the region.
Learn more at remakelearning.org.
