DeKalb County School District and Wilson Bank & Trust have joined together for a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Pairing Externship Program among DeKalb County High School students and elementary students at Northside Elementary School and Smithville Elementary School. Kathy Bryant, Supervisor of Instruction, proposed the pairing to Chad Colwell, Wilson Bank & Trust. “The STEAM Pairing program will give our high school students enrolled in the Teaching as a Profession (TAP) class an opportunity to mentor and teach elementary students. This pairing will afford the experience that aspiring teachers need while providing our elementary students with STEAM instruction. We are so thankful that Chad Colwell with Wilson Bank & Trust is sharing this vision for our students.” Both high school and elementary students will benefit academically and socially from this experience. “We’re excited to be a part of this endeavor. This will give many students an opportunity to connect with older students while learning about STEAM careers. Wilson Bank & Trust is always looking for ways to invest in our community,” reports Chad Colwell.
In 2018, DeKalb County School District implemented a STEAM initiative for our district. This STEAM initiative was implemented to build a passionate foundation for problem solving, cooperative learning and communication for elementary students and to develop an individualized career focus linked to action steps that can make a career dream into a reality for high school students. Becky Miller, Teaching as a Profession Instructor, adds, “Students enrolled
in the Teaching as a Profession class have a need for hands-on experiences with students in order
to get a feel for a real-world workplace. The STEAM Externship Pairing Program will give our high school students first hand experiences in planning, organizing, and teaching while serving as role models for our elementary students.” Additionally, elementary students will be exposed to the teaching profession while learning STEAM skills necessary for the workforce.
Randy Jennings explains how the externship program will work. “Approximately twenty high school TAP students will extern at both Smithville Elementary and Northside Elementary schools. The students will make 2 hour weekly visits and work with each grade level at each school. The TAP students will use technology from the Makerspace and from the buildings to provide STEAM activities for the children in the classrooms.”
Principal of Northside Elementary, Karen Knowles, is excited about the opportunity for the students. “We have enjoyed our partnership with Mrs. Becky Miller, DCHS, and the TAPS students over the years. This sponsorship will allow our students to benefit from our future teachers while incorporating much desired STEM activities.”
According to the latest research findings, 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have not even been invented yet (Institute for the Future, 2017). Kathy Bryant adds, “Our current 2nd grade students who attend both elementary schools, will graduate in 2030. The STEAM Externship High School/Elementary School Pairing Program will foster both the teaching and learning of STEAM standards and increase the employability skill level for all of our students.” Summer Cantrell, Principal of Smithville Elementary School, realizes the importance of our young students being exposed to career exploration at an early age. "During the developmental years of early childhood, children have a natural sense of creativity, inquiry and invention that carries into the first years of school. In the elementary school setting, it is important to continue to develop a love for learning by creating an environment and providing activities that encourage a child's inquisitive spirit. STEAM supports and promotes learning at an early age and helps to set the stage for a student's academic success in elementary school and beyond."
The externship program is set to start in the spring semester of this school year. Chad Colwell concludes, “Wilson Bank & Trust is delighted to assist in funding this program for the students of our school system We look forward to seeing the progress and the learning along the way for both the high school and elementary students. It’s a win for all of us.”
