Kingston begins STEM program
Many schools have either looked into implementing a new program called STEM, or they are in the newborn stage of the program. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the four basic building blocks for trade jobs.
Kingston Public Schools Superintendent Brian Brister said this is a program he has had his eye on for quite some time.
“This is something I’ve been researching for a couple of years,” he said. “It’s the future of education.”
Brister said many schools are seeing the benefits of implementing the STEM program, and he realized they must do something to keep up.
“The more I researched it, the more I realized, we were going to get on board and move full ahead or our kids are going to get left behind,” he said, “I’m not going to let that happen.”
Kingston Public Schools teamed up with Project Lead the Way to launch their own STEM program. This organization works with the school district and sets up training for the teachers. Project Lead the Way puts teachers through a rigorous, intensive summer course to help them get ready for the fall semester.
There are three categories that are covered through the program: biomedical science, computer science, and engineering.
The STEM program will span from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Brister said he does not think that kindergarten is too soon to begin learning toward a trade. He said a vast majority of children decide by grade two if they are good at math, or not. He said this stunts their dreams and makes them believe they cannot be in a career that includes math, like engineering.
The STEM program is a hands-on approach that teaches math skills from a different angle, making it possible to learn.
Brister said this program changes the way children learn and think and shows them they can get a job making decent money.
The superintendent said Bartlesville Public Schools has a type of partnership with Conoco Phillips and hires graduates right out of high school because of the STEM program.
Brister said teachers go so long telling their students that they have to go to college to make any kind of money to support themselves. However, Brister said he has found that is not completely true.
“Not every kid is meant to go to college or should go to college,” Brister said.
He also said trade jobs are in high demand.
“Have you ever tried calling a plumber and he says he can get to you in two weeks,” Brister said. Brister said this is an issue because they need more trade jobs.
Oklahoma Steel and Wire is constantly asking Brister to send students to shadow workers to try and fill the need for employees, he said.
Brister said the eye opener for him was when he found out that the average salary for a Southeastern Oklahoma State University graduate is $30,000.
“How do you tell a kid they have to go to college when that’s the average pay,” Brister asked. “They can learn through STEM and be pointed to a career path to make more money.”
The program will take at least five years to be in full swing. This year, there is one class at each school. The district is going to try and double that number by next year, and so on and so forth.
Brister said the sky is the limit for the children. There will be a coding class, where the students will write their own codes. That was something completely out of reach for students in previous decades
Brister is worried the students will get left behind if they do not hop on the train soon.
“If we don’t push forward, we’re doing our kids a disservice,” he said.
Brister said the cost for training one teacher for the STEM program is approximately $30,000 per class. He said the Kingston Public Schools Board of Education is applying for grants to cover the impeding costs.