By Megan Wehring
HAYS CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT — University planning begins at the elementary level; Hays CISD has incorporated art and design into science, technology, engineering and math to create STEAM programs at some campuses in the district.
STEM-related jobs grew three times more than non-STEM jobs between the years of 2000 and 2010, according to the Smithsonian Science Education Center, and they also rank higher in pay by 12% to 30% compared to other fields.
There is a wide variety of STEAM programs offered across the district. Saturn V, a magnet program for fourth and fifth-grade students to work on STEM-based activities like team building and engineering, is housed on the Carpenter Hill, Kyle, Pfluger and Tobias campuses.
STEAM labs are incorporated into the special rotations at the following campuses: Camino Real Elementary, Blanco Vista Elementary, Hemphill Elementary, Wallace Middle and Dahlstrom Middle Schools. Most of the STEAM programs at the high school level are consolidated into the Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.
“At the elementary level, within our specials rotations, that’s when the kids have the STEM or STEAM labs,” Katie Campbell, STEAM Coordinator for Hays CISD, said. “It’s not on every campus. We probably have about seven campuses that don’t have a STEM specials rotation.”
Campbell added that she encourages all teachers to get involved in STEAM education even if they are not specialized in the field.
“Any teacher can do STEM,” Campbell said. “I try to give them ideas on how to do STEM in their classroom even if you’re a language arts teacher, you might not think about ways that you can do STEM.”
Education about the STEM field can ultimately prepare students for post-high school careers and college, Campbell explained.
“These opportunities are great for kids to get those soft skills that employers are looking for,” Campbell told the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch. “Kids are working together in teams, solving problems, thinking critically and thinking outside of the box. Those are all really good skills. The earlier we start them, definitely the better off they are going to be.”
