Bear becomes first elementary school in Montgomery to be STEM certified
A Montgomery Public School has accomplished what no other elementary school in the system has done, becoming STEM certified.
In a special announcement to the entire school, Bear Exploration Center announced they are officially STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) certified.
“I felt it was important to show that we really do believe in that, and we do focus on math, science, and technology,” Bear Principal Elizabeth Hill said.
The process to get STEM certified has taken three to four years. Now, Bear is the first elementary in Montgomery to claim the title.
“I’ve been at Bear since I was in kindergarten, and I’ve always thought of this kind of stuff and if it would happen when I was at Bear,” fifth grader Henry Manderville said.
The certification coming from the accreditation group, Cognia, included 16 standards that needed to be met.
“Its a testament to what our students have done, parents have done to support us, and teachers have done in their training,” Hill said.
Students are thankful for teachers and faculty who give them these educational opportunities.
“The way they teach, they really try to include us in what they say and what they teach and also try to make it fun,” fifth grader Kaysie Vaughn said.
The school believes this recognition will just push them to keep striving for excellence.
“We’re really excited to have that recognition and honor, but we are going to keep striving and going to do our best in those STEM areas,” Hill said.
Students say examples of some of their favorite STEM based learning opportunities are science and math nights, hands-on projects, and even building robots.
The school will next attempt to recertify as a nationally recognized magnet school.
