What is STEM

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception School is proud to be the first school operating in Lorain County to receive a STEM Designation by the Ohio Department of Education 2017. St. Mary is also designated as a STREAM school by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. So, what does that mean?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) was originally developed to encourage careers within those disciplines. Since its inception, it has become so much more!

STEM innovation promotes creative thinking through problem-solving and project-based learning in and out of the classroom environment. While traditional education involves the study of one subject area at a time, STEM innovation promotes learning through the incorporation of mutiple disciplines. According to the Ohio STEM Network, "STEM emphasizes collaboration, communication, research, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity – skills that all students need to be successful in today’s world, regardless of specific interests or career goals."

As an innovative Catholic school with traditional Catholic values, St. Mary also includes the disciplines of Art and Religion, as outlined by the Diocesan STREAM designation. Studies involving all subject areas aid students in learning and developing a thought process instead of simply memorizing facts and figures. They are encouraged to solve problems, come to multiple solutions, and collaborate with other students -- skills that will be used throughout their lives and make students competitive as they head towards higher education and career choices.