STEAM

Paideia’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program includes classes and extracurricular opportunities at all levels of the school.

Many of our STEAM projects draw on Paideia’s unique urban agriculture program which features mini-farms and gardens that not only give students hands on experiences with agricultural and environmental practices, but also provide over 2,000 pounds of food annually to local food pantries.

Our annual Family Science Carnival gives students a fun and unique way to show what they've learned by designing and presenting science-themed games. 

Elementary School

The Elementary STEAM program reaches K-6 students during regularly scheduled science and STEAM classes, recess time, and after school. STEAM classes are organized around multi-week design projects that are often integrated with Paideia’s urban agriculture, sustainability, and science programs.

The elementary makerspace is open for Tinker Time during recess once a week. Students can do activities led by the STEAM teacher, work on their own projects, or just tinker and explore. Typical after-school options include Lego building, Lego robotics, stop-motion animation, coding, 3D printing, Odyssey of the Mind, and inventing with Makey-Makey or Little Bits.

To encourage families to play together and bond over experiential learning, the elementary science and STEAM teachers offer various science toys and experiment kits for parents to check out for a week at a time.

Junior High

Our innovative teaching specialists work with the junior high classroom teachers to develop STEAM projects related to their curriculum, giving students a chance to use our 3D printers and laser cutters. The short term includes several STEAM options, including a class about the Science of Photography and another in which students build and race cardboard boats.

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Innovative Learning Explorations @ Paideia

Innovative teaching specialists at Paideia work with teachers from half day to high school to develop new and engaging approaches to instruction and learning.  Listen as Amy Valk and Lacey Andersen explain how they support Paideia teachers and students.

Recent junior high after-school science and STEAM options have included robotics, Biology Club, stop-motion animation, and a mobile app development course for girls.

High School

In addition to our traditional science classes, high school students can take MAKE: Mechanics to learn about building things with their hands, tools, and 3D printers. We offer robotics as a long-term class and an after-school club, and we compete against other schools in the VEX Robotics competition. Other clubs include the Innovation Club, Urban Agriculture, and Girls Tech. Our many short-term STEAM classes vary from year to year. Recent offerings have included Video Game Design, Science Olympiad, Robotics, and Web Design.