Incarnate Word Academy fourth and fifth-grade students put their math, science, and engineering skills to the test as they participated in the Elementary Level’s S.T.E.M. Olympics on Thursday, November 29, 2018, in the James R. Dougherty, Jr. Center.
Angels participated in several events created and tested by High School Level students in Mrs. Heather Quintana’s Introduction to Engineering Design class. The mix of challenges included programming Dash robots, creating air powered and chemical reaction rockets, launching catapults and building structures that supported the weight of a heavy object.
At IWA, S.T.E.M. related classes and activities are integrated into the school curriculum beginning in the first grade. Through hands-on lessons designed to teach critical thinking and reasoning skills, S.T.E.M. classes are aimed at enhancing student collaboration, creativity, and communication skills while empowering students for a future in science, technology, engineering, and math.
“It’s truly wonderful to see the students develop a strong penchant for learning and technology at such a young age,” IWA Elementary Level S.T.E.M. teacher Heather Quintana said. “When little girls and boys come up to me and say they are interested in a career in S.T.E.M., I know we are doing our jobs right.”