Middle and high schools interested in Ohio STEM Designation should be watching for applications to post in the next two to three weeks. The FY18 Application will be available on the Ohio Department of Education’s website, and of course, we’ll share it too.
Ohio’s STEM Committee, recently reconstituted and re-situated within the department of education, decided to accelerate the progress in hopes of approving new designations in early Spring 2017. The move from late Spring/early Summer approvals would allow start-up schools more time to recruit students for the following school year.
Two other changes are under consideration, likely for next year:
Elementary STEM Schools:
The committee seems interested in making elementary schools eligible for designation. Interested elementary schools should begin keeping tabs on the process or introducing themselves to the Ohio STEM Learning Network.
Bronze, Silver, Gold:
The committee discussed changing the designation itself from a binary system – applicants are either designated or not – to a continuum that describes each school’s level of implementation and success. This reflects the STEM Designation committee’s apparent interest in more support and accountability for designated schools.
Need help with the application process for your school? Contact Tricia Moore at tricia@envisionedplus.com or 614-357-4439 as soon as possible.