Holding Up the Middle

This article highlights the introduction of new programs that keep science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in focus for students between elementary and high school. The number of U.S. STEM middle school magnets grows every year thanks in part to a curriculum from Project Lead the Way. Magnet schools are public schools that tie curriculum to a certain theme; the schools offer choice to a diverse population by drawing interested students from surrounding districts. Middle school units focus on engineering design, sustainable energy solutions, aeronautics, astronautics, and green architecture. Schools that use the curriculum are required to implement the design and modeling and the automation and robotics units. Students in junior high already involved in STEM subjects need additional exposure to math, science, and engineering before high school. Students exposed early to a STEM curriculum often follow it through high school. The growth in middle school programs lets them do just that.