STEM

Phenix City Schools

Principal, Mr. Shawn Taylor

Superintendent, Mr. Randy Wilkes

The STEM Program at Phenix City Intermediate School (PCIS) first began in 2016. The goals for this program were to expose students to skills and concepts that would later prepare them for future careers, to set PCIS apart from the other middle schools, and to create a school and district culture that encouraged an inquiry-based, innovative learning environment for all students. The STEM program continued to grow and develop. It was composed of classes covering the areas of Engineering, Computer Science, Digital Media, Lego/Robotics (6th grade only), and Virtual Science (7th grade only). Each class was housed in a lab, furnished with state-of-the-art equipment, to provide students with the best possible opportunities to establish a firm foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students attended STEM classes daily and rotated to a different STEM class each quarter. Each of these classes covered a range of state standards, as well as CSTA standards (Computer Science Teachers Association) and ISTE standards (International Society for Technology in Education). Skills learned through these classes empowered students to become computational thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers. The STEM program began as a vision for PCIS, became reality, and transformed the way learning occurred and the experiences students received.