Schools selected as STEM finalists

A Fayette County elementary and middle school has been named a finalist in the fifth annual 2016 STEM Education Awards sponsored by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-ED). The awards recognize schools for outstanding efforts and achievement in supporting and promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in Georgia.

Kedron Elementary is one of nine finalists in the STEM Day Activity category for their school-wide STEM Day event last May. Students in grades kindergarten through fifth participated in a variety of activities that included robotics, engineering challenges, aerodynamics, digital animation, and architecture. PTO volunteer Stacie Kilgore organized the event, and collaborated with teachers at J.C. Booth Middle, McIntosh High, and Whitewater High to have students from those schools come to Kedron to work with the elementary students.

“She was the driving force behind our STEM Day event. Many thanks to her for organizing such a wonderful day for our students,” said Dr. Julie Turner, principal of Kedron Elementary.

J.C. Booth Middle is one of five finalists in the Middle School category for its overall Integrated STEM program. Rising seventh graders are invited to apply for the yearlong program, and participants are selected based on their application responses and ratings from their math and science teachers. Teaching is done through facilitation and coaching. Students learn by discovery and participating in problem-based activities, mostly done in collaborative groups.

Winners will be announced during a special awards gala Nov. 4 at the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta.