STEAM Learning
About STEAM and Project Lead the Way
Builders. Explorers. Engineers. Creators. Problem Solvers. Artists.Those are the students in Brooklyn Center Community Schools. We help our students discover their passions and prepare for their next stage of life through hands-on and engaging learning experiences.
What is STEAM?
Every student in our district receives STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education through a magnet program model. We implemented Project Lead the Way curriculum beginning in the 2017-2018 school year that celebrates our students' natural curiosity of the world. Starting in kindergarten, students learn how to code. High school students have experiences in the biomedical field, including how to analyze a crime scene, build a medical device and learn how the human body works. STEAM education incorporates the “A” for the arts – recognizing that to be successful in technical fields, individuals must also be creative and use critical thinking skills which are best developed through exposure to the arts.
What STEM looks like at each grade level
GRADES PRE-K-5
Teaching is an art, as well as a science. Every elementary student participates in STEAM opportunities. STEAM education builds cognitive power, even in the youngest learners, by enhancing the development of the prefrontal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe of the brain. Students will exercise both the left and the right hemispheres of their brains by engaging in a hands-on, activity based curriculum called Project Lead The Way (PLTW).
Project Lead The Way uses science, technology, engineering, art, and math to develop critical thinking, creativity, innovation and real world problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
PLTW Launch taps into young children’s exploratory nature and encourages them to keep discovering. Here’s a look at what our students study in each grade:
GRADES 6-8
Every middle school scholar will deepen their learning with semester courses focused on the STEAM pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Students will be challenged to test their limits and connect what they learn in the classroom to making a real-world impact. PLTW Gateway illuminates the range of paths and possibilities students can look forward to in high school and beyond. Here’s a look at what our grade 6-8 scholars will be experiencing:
GRADES 9-12
Every high school scholar will participate in the Biomedical pathway. Working with the same tools used by professionals in hospitals and labs, students will step into the roles of medical investigators, surgeons, microbiologists, geneticists and biomedical engineers. They will explore realistic situations like investigating the death of a fictional person and analyzing prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in full-year courses.
PLTW Biomedical Science inspires students to make an impact on the lives of those around them. Here’s a look at what our grade 9-12 scholars will be doing:
Growing BC!
Growing BC is a district-wide initiative to ensure high-quality outdoor learning opportunities for all BCCS students. Here’s what Centaurs can expect to do and learn about each year:
Pre-K
- Sensory gardening
Elementary School (Grades K - 5)
- Gardening with Farmer Hana from Three Rivers Park District
- Biking
- Field trips to places like Gale Woods Farm and Mississippi Gateway Regional Park
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
- Wolf Ridge Overnight (6th grade)
- Biking
High School (Grades 9-12)
- Biking
- Garden and Outdoor Adventures Enrichment Courses
- Environmental Science Course (10th grade)
To learn more about our wellness programming, click here.
In addition, there are also after school and community engagement activities and events, such as:
- Annual Moonlight Sledding at BCE
- Girls on the Run
- Timber Bay Family Camp
- Explorer Club with Three Rivers Park District
- Garden Internships
Looking for fun winter activities to do while kids are off of school? Click here to visit the ‘10 Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers page of the Project Learning Tree website. These activities are fun for all ages in the household!