T-STEM academy promotes careers in sciences and math with festival

The T-STEM E4 Academy hosted its first annual festival on February 6. Nearly 200 students from six different schools, from Houston to Port Arthur, converged at the South Side Attucks Middle School campus to participate in design challenges and to learn more about practical applications of science in our daily lives.The students ranged in ages from elementary school to high school.

Young Elementary students

Erin Bougere, a fifth grader at Young elementary was very excited about attending the festival. “ I really enjoyed the wind turbine display. I think that it is wonderful and very generous of Attucks to put something together like this just for us” Erin is considering attending the T-STEM E4 Academy next year and she wants to become a teacher.

Curtis Babers, a student at Lockhart Elementary, was interested in the Discovery Dome provided by the Museum of Natural Science. “They taught us how engineers use generators to take wind energy and convert it to electricity.” Curtis would like to be an engineer when he grows up.

Red Elementary students

The T-STEM E4 Academy is located on the 2nd floor of the Attucks Middle School campus. It is under the leadership of Dr. Deirdre Sharkey. The academy is one of the few schools to be designated a T-STEM program.

The Texas Education Agency designed the designation to improve instruction and academic performance in science and mathematics-related subjects at secondary schools through access to professional development and college and career opportunities. Students participate in various mentally stimulating activities such as the First LEGO League Robotics Competition. The school’s robotics program is coordinated by Dr. Monique Micheaux.

Students from Bastian Elementary

Despite program growth, the academy faces many hurdles including decreasing support from HISD, which initiated a new policy that would have effectively removed the magnet from Attucks. Undaunted, the T-STEM team secured a grant from Educate Texas to keep the program functioning in the school. If the smiles on the faces of the festival participants are any indication, the T-STEM Academy deserves the support of HISD and our community.