It was new, but not surprising, for TAF Academy to host the STEM Expo, an annual all-school winter exhibition, at Seattle University this year. Each year the STEM Expo sees over 150+ projects to be judged: electric bikes, clean water systems, advanced soccer strategy, the list goes on. All students are asked and expected to solve real problems using their STEM tools and yes, that includes 6th grade students. Local STEM experts judge projects onsite for special awards including qualifying teams to move on to regional and national science and engineering fairs.
To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts in media forms old and new. ” –Core Standard (The Common Core)
All student presentations were in the style of
PechaKucha talks. Teams had a short amount of time to present their case to judges and the audience through a driving questions, research, and solution to the problem(s) they identified.
When given the agency to choose which problems they want to focus on, students demonstrated their competency of STEM and how it is inherently a part of everything. Project topics ranged from using solar energy in creative ways, building systems to provide water in impoverished areas, plane technology and more. It illustrates that STEM is not exclusive to only those who have the “smart” gene but those who are given the appropriate foundation and are increasingly challenged.
The format of the Expo project presentations simulates college and beyond academic presentations– e.g. papers presented at conferences, thesis defense. It took place at Seattle University so that students had a college awareness experience, a component of college readiness.” – Sarah Wilkes, TAF Academy College and Career Readiness Manager.
For 20 years, TAF has provided accessible STEM education to underserved students using the interactivity of games, project based learning and community building. TAF Academy has a 95% graduation rate, 100% of those graduating students are admitted to a college or university of their choice.
