What is a STEMinn program?
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While this may seem like a simple question, at Stamford American School Hong Kong, the answer is complex. The program is a combination of science, technology, engineering, math, and innovation explored through an ongoing in-class focus combined with large-scale, school-wide projects bi-annually, bringing together the community and celebrating these disciplines.
Yearly Traditions
The pandemic has meant cancellations of many yearly traditions and events. However, at Stamford Hong Kong, innovation thrived without interruption with both annual whole-school STEMinn events, Mission Inspire and Sustainable Stamford, continuing as planned this year.
In these changing times, having something to look forward to and the comfort of keeping traditions are bonuses to these large-scale projects. The core benefit for students of these yearly events is building skills to be job-ready and thrive in life, such as resiliency and problem-solving. Employers are now looking for people who will not only be able to perform a function, but also solve problems and improve productivity through creativity and innovation.
"As a school focusing on innovation, this was the perfect time to lead by example and solve a real-world challenge, in this case organizing school-wide projects during uncertain times", commented Linda Cheung, STEMinn coordinator.
Some of the standout projects from this year's showcase included the Grade 1 students taking BlueBots on a fun new adventure through a story on a map, and young scientists in Grade 2 learning about the states of matter on Scratch Jr. Secondary students combined technology with function to build Smart Home programs using IoT which is a growing area in innovation. The effects of Mission Inspire are evident long after the event, students have gone on to Sophomore Projects such as a clothing line that celebrates one student’s heritage, a functional clay item to beautify small spaces and a coded floor cleaning robot.
Mission Inspire
Each year Mission Inspire does just that; it inspires students by focusing on a specific theme to challenge their limits. Students can extend their STEM skills beyond the curriculum and unleash their creativity to be showcased school-wide during this week. With the world operating mainly in the online realm, the theme of this year's Mission Inspire focused on coding, which also coincided with Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek). As technology continues to further integrate itself into the majority of professions, combining tech-know-how with problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking sets students up for success. These skills are bound to become core requirements to any resume. "Mission Inspire is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate collaborations across subjects and grade levels, and to showcase successes and failures, resilience and perseverance, and the continuous innovation that builds the skills students need for their future today." added Linda Cheung.
Some of the standout projects from this year's showcase included the Grade 1 students taking BlueBots on a fun new adventure through a story on a map, and young scientists in Grade 2 learning about the states of matter on Scratch Jr. Secondary students combined technology with function to build Smart Home programs using IoT which is a growing area in innovation. The effects of Mission Inspire are evident long after the event, students have gone on to Sophomore Projects such as a clothing line that celebrates one student’s heritage, a functional clay item to beautify small spaces and a coded floor cleaning robot.
Sustainable Stamford
Students are passionate about the environment, which affects their futures as much as the skills they need. Sustainable Stamford gives students a platform each year to better understand the different issues we are facing and develop solutions. Last year, during online learning, it was an excellent opportunity for students to focus on their carbon footprint and find ways to make a difference in their daily lives. This year, looking again at sustainability on a grander scheme using the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's), the students will choose the goal that speaks to their passions and develop tangible solutions using design thinking principles.
Year-Round Innovation
Two large-scale STEMinn focused events are just part of the picture; innovation culture is alive and well throughout the year. Grade 7 students are producing and editing CNN 10 episodes reporting on the UN SDG's which will be released in April. Other projects include book review podcasts on novels chosen by grade 8 students published on Spotify. Grade 7 students delved deeply into design thinking by creating apps on Proto.io, focusing on user experience.
STEMinn doesn't just encompass flashy projects but incorporates "old-fashioned" hands-on learning such as designing Rube-Goldberg machines which brings fun and whimsy to the science of energy transfer and might plant the seed of a life-long passion for the subject.
This diversity and depth to the program might be why answering the question "What is the STEMinn program?" is such a challenge. Like the students at Stamford, it doesn't fit into a single category, but changes and evolves just like the technology and skills needed to thrive. What remains clear is that the students' output exceeds expectations as the dedicated STEMinn team continues to find new ways to inspire students.
