Loogootee extends school system STEM certification
May 13—LOOGOOTEE — Loogootee High School has been recognized by the state for its efforts in education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
The Indiana Department of Education announced the high school has been named a STEM certified school for a second time.
Loogootee officials say the recertification presented a new challenge.
"The state put a new rubric in place setting a STEM focus for the high school. That was different than what we dealt with when the high school received its original certification," said Loogootee Director of Curriculum and Technology Shelly Christmas. "It took quite a bit of work. We are excited and proud to have this for our rural kids. For a school our size, we have a lot of offerings. From K through 12, we want our kids exposed to all kinds of careers and technologies."
Not only is the high school a STEM certified school, but all of the schools at Loogootee have the certification.
"We are one of the few school systems in Indiana where all of the schools are recognized for our STEM work," said Christmas.
She points out the school system is not sitting still. It is now in the process of adding a practical technical side to the STEM learning.
"We are adding a fabrication lab onto our Loogootee Manufacturing program," said Christmas. "It will be for any teacher grades 5-12 to go in and use to enhance their curriculum."
Loogootee, along with several other local school systems are also working with Crane on the SCALE program, which is adding even more technical education.
"We had 100% of our math, science, engineering teachers attend the curriculum training for that," she said. "The next round of training is coming and we have five more teachers lined up for training including some in the elementary. With all of the technology manufacturing coming to Crane this will help our kids prepare for those jobs in the future."
Christmas explains the STEM work is part of a greater effort to make Loogootee the kind of place where people have the skills to work whether they stay within the community of venture elsewhere.
"My whole family has been in Loogootee for generations," she explained. "We want our kids to experience what we had, but we also want to prepare them to be contributing members of society once they graduate. We like the sense of community we have in Loogootee, Montgomery, Shoals and Washington. We want our kids to have that as well and be prosperous in the future."
The announcement concerning Loogootee was part of a larger one by the IDOE that 20 schools from around the state were newly certified as STEM schools.
Among those newly certified schools are Otwell Miller Academy, Paoli Junior-Senior High School, and Throop Elementary in Paoli.
