STEM focused

WARDEN — Warden School District will soon host events designed to develop the district’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program. Central Washington University student teachers will be visiting Warden classrooms Feb. 29 and Warden High School will be hosting a Post-Secondary STEM Day on March 14.

Warden mathematics teacher Mitch Stanberry said the student teachers, CWU college juniors, are coming to Warden to gather some early classroom experience. 

“They do some observations of our math and science teachers at the junior high and high school, and then they also observe each other,” Stanberry said. “Then professors give them feedback, and we give them feedback.”

Stanberry is one of three Warden teachers who are Master Teacher Fellows of CWU’s Washington STEM Teachers Engaging in Leadership, Learning and Research (WA-STELLAR) program. In 2022, CWU received a six-year, $1.5 million Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the STELLAR program, according to an August CWU announcement.

Stanberry said student teachers visiting Warden is a result of networking between CWU and the three fellows, who are part of the STELLAR program for a total of five years.

“So last year and this year, (CWU has) looked at a lot of our data and what we're doing in our classrooms, and so we have a great partnership there,” he said. “They were excited to give their students some other experiences.”

CWU wants to gather a broader range of experience with different types of schools, such as Warden’s smaller, rural community, Stanberry said.

“It also allows our students to have opportunities to meet and talk with professors and realize that they're people also, and kind of get to see what student teachers do. We're hoping to promote some of our students, and we're looking at helping put together a program on campus for future teachers, so it gives our kids some access to looking at those (options),” he said. “Hopefully, we'll get some of our own students to go into the profession and come back and be bilingual educators who are really good at STEM.”

According to the CWU announcement, the fellows receive an annual, grant-supported stipend of $10,000 over the five years. The grant also supports events and workshops for participants, such as Warden’s Post-Secondary STEM Day.

“We have conferences, so our kids are making STEM profession projects. They're going to present to the elementary school kids and the middle school kids during the day – we have a half day – and then from 4 to 5 (p.m.) they're going to present to the STEM professionals that are coming to that night,” Stanberry said. “The STEM professionals are going to ask some questions, it'll look kind of like a science fair, and then from 5 to 7:30 (p.m.), those STEM professionals are going to swap spots and show what they do, and parents and kids will be able to ask them questions.”

Stanberry said recruiters from CWU, Eastern Oregon University, Washington State University and more will be at the event, as well as STELLAR representatives and 15 to 20 regional STEM businesses and organizations to give students connections to post-secondary STEM opportunities.

“We’re just trying to connect with people that are doing these STEM jobs so that hopefully (students) can get their questions answered and it gives kids just a different perspective,” Stanberry said.

The STEM events are also meant to help students realize their potential, Stanberry said.

“I actually did a survey of my high-achieving students,” he said. “Their personal interest in real-world application wasn't as high as I'd like to see it, so some of these events are in relationship to some of the data, trying to give our kids some vision towards their ability … helping them to visualize what they want to do in their future.”

Stanberry outlined some of the focuses of the STELLAR program in the last two years. 

“We've been working on kind of STEM Leadership and then looking at equitable pathways for our students, and also looking at our students’ grades and kind of how they're doing to make sure that they're able to continue and hopefully go into STEM careers,” Stanberry said. “We took three STEM leadership classes last year, 500-level leadership classes through Central Washington, about how to be a STEM leader in our district.”

Stanberry said it has been very beneficial to form a connection between the classroom and what is happening on the post-secondary level. 

“I’m over 20 years into this profession, and this has been kind of reinvigorating, and just a way to really feel like I'm making a difference with my kids. But also, they're helping me make a difference for me as a teacher,” Stanberry said. “We’ve had a really hard time with a shortage of math teachers in our state, so preparing kids to be successful so that they don't burn out and they have success is great for kids in our state and it's going to really kind of transition to allow better education at a much bigger level than Warden.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Exterior of Warden School District’s administrative offices. The district will be hosting two Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM – events to develop the district’s program. Central Washington University student teachers will be visiting Warden classrooms Feb. 29 and Warden High School will be hosting a Post-Secondary STEM Day March 14.
  

    Warden High School seniors throw their caps in the air during the 2022 graduation ceremony. Warden’s participation in Central Washington University’s STELLAR fellowship program is partially intended to bolster schools’ STEM programs and post-secondary connections.