SIDNEY — Ask Executive Director Melissa Bennett what’s new and exciting at Lehman Catholic High School here and she’s likely to answer, “STEMMM.”
She’s not reviewing a particularly tasty lunch or stuttering over the hottest buzzword in education, STEM, which stands for a curriculum centered on science, technology, engineering and math. She’s talking about Lehman’s plans to expand STEM education there by adding classes in medical, food science and manufacturing disciplines.
To accommodate them, the school will renovate a wing of its existing building. Labs and lecture rooms will be created where regular classrooms and unused former chemistry and home economics spaces stand now.
“Technology is not there for the 21st-century learner,” Bennett said. Work will begin as soon as classes end this spring. The hope is to offer the STEMMM courses beginning in the fall of 2017.
“Learning will be different. Critical thinking will be important. There will be real-world situation projects to work on,” she added.
The project grew out of discussions Bennett and Principal/CEO Denise Stauffer began with area industrialists two years ago.
“When we were meeting people in the community, we kept hearing, ‘We can’t seem to keep people in the medical and manufacturing fields. How can we get our young people to stay here?’” Bennett said Monday. “I know young people (at Lehman) are people who could fill those roles.”
She had been surprised to learn of local corporations that are national and international leaders in their fields.
“If we as adults don’t know that, do our young people know that?” she asked, rhetorically. “We need to expose kids to what’s in their backyard. We’re hoping to expose them while they’re in high school to corporate leaders.”
The STEMMM plans call for university and corporate advisers to join the school’s adisory group. Emerson Climate Technologies is the lead donor to project.
“We are excited to assist Lehman Catholic High School in their renovation and retrofitting of the STEMMM innovative wing,” said Tom Sheehan, vice president of human resources at Emerson, in a prepared statement. “We believe it is important for local industry and business to support educational programs. Being able to create ‘real-world’ experiences in biomedicine, food science and manufacturing at the high school level is a win-win for the community.”
Cargill is another lead donor. Bennett and Stauffer have already met Cargill to discuss the firm’s scientists and technicians as guest lecturers and student-research mentors.
The goal is to give students a feel in the labs and classrooms for what real life in STEMMM fields is like, to allow students to explore career pathways that might bring them back home for exciting jobs after college graduation. Lehman planners also have been in discussion with Edison State Community College in Piqua, Wright State University-Lake Campus in Celina and the University of Dayton to develop college credit plus opportunities, which would allow students to earn college credit for their high school work, professional development opportunities for Lehman teachers and some shared instructional possibilities.
A $1.3 million fund drive is under way to cover construction costs and purchasing innovative class equipment and furnishings, including a robot for the manufacturing lab and an anatomy table for the biomedical lab. Lehman will spend an additional $300,000 to remove asbestos from the wing of the building.
Bennett said the drive has raised about $700,000 to date. For information, call 937-498-1161.
