VERSAILLES, IN — South Ripley Elementary School (SRES) is one of 15 schools across Indiana to be newly certified as a leader in STEM education.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) made the announcement on Monday.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for SRES. During a strategic planning session four years ago, our school board set the direction for having our schools become STEM certified. The SRES staff accepted the challenge and worked very hard to achieve this certification,” said Superintendent Rob Moorhead. “The leadership of SRES administrators Ryan Lauber and Kris Wood, and the tireless work of the STEM team including Brett Miller, Sheena Speer, Julia Heidlage, Leslie Rennie and Neal Herzog has resulted in SRES becoming the first STEM certified school in Ripley County.
“With an application that was described as ‘exemplary’ by the IDOE, the SRES team earned 74 out of a possible 75 points on the STEM rubric. This certification shows that our students are highly engaged in learning STEM concepts across the curriculum at SRES as we fulfill our mission of educating students today to become responsible citizens of tomorrow,” Moorhead added.
“South Ripley Elementary is extremely excited about becoming STEM certified through the Indiana Department of Education. Our application was the highest scored application ever received, and the IDOE has stated that SRES is a model for schools across the state looking to create a STEM environment for their students,” said South Ripley Elementary Principal Ryan Lauber. “The vision for this certification was set by our school board, and it was achieved with the hard work of our STEM committee. The teachers, students, and parents of our community should be proud of this honor.”
More than 100 schools across the state are now STEM Certified.
“With now upwards of 100 STEM Certified Schools across the state, these schools are leading the way in helping our students explore, engage, and gain experiences in STEM fields,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “I’ve directly witnessed several of these schools’ innovative approaches to inquiry- and problem-based learning, as they integrate STEM across their curriculum and engage families and community partners to help students build knowledge and skills that will serve them throughout their lives.”
Created in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools committed to teaching STEM disciplines beyond the classroom. STEM Certified Schools exemplify a highly innovative approach to education, employing a great deal of inquiry, project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, integration into humanities and related arts, and out-of-school STEM activities. For secondary schools, in particular, earning STEM certification requires heightened intention and coordination in terms of vision, scheduling, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In addition to South Ripley Elementary, this year’s new STEM Certified Schools are:
- Bailly STEM Academy, Gary Community School Corporation
- Brentwood Elementary School, Plainfield Community School Corporation
- Career Academy High School South Bend
- Career Academy Middle School South Bend
- Edgewood Junior High, Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation
- Farmersville Elementary School, MSD Mount Vernon
- Guilford Elementary School, Plainfield Community School Corporation
- Indiana Math & Science Academy West
- John S. Irwin Elementary School, Fort Wayne Community Schools
- Marrs Elementary School, MSD Mount Vernon
- North Side Elementary School, Randolph Eastern Community Schools
- Van Buren Elementary School, Plainfield Community School Corporation
- West Elementary School, MSD Mount Vernon
- Whitney Young Early Childhood Center, Fort Wayne Community Schools
Each of these schools completed a rigorous application and review process, which must be repeated every five years to remain certified.
To view a complete list of Indiana STEM Certified schools, click here.
