Loganville Christian Academy is dedicated to bringing STEM education to all of our students in the K-12 arena leading to workforce development and advanced degrees in the STEM fields. STEM activities are integrated in core classes through all grade levels, reaching all of our students. With state of the art Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Labs in both Upper School and Lower School, Loganville Christian Academy has implemented dedicated STEM course work through the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM curriculum program, preparing students to be leaders in the global economy. The PLTW STEM program brings a whole new world of possibilities to LCA students through a comprehensive and robust program that embraces real world applications.
In our Lower School, students in grades 1-5 are exposed to lab experiences that enhance each student’s understanding of the engineering design process (ask, explore, model, evaluate & explain). Lab experiences incorporate the use of both hands on experiments and digital technology via iPads. The Project Lead the Way Launch Program paves the way for the students to become problem solvers. They use the engineering design process, employ critical thinking concepts, and apply STEM knowledge & skills to finding solutions to real world problems.
LCA instructs upper school students in the PLTW Gateway to Technology courses Design & Modeling, Automation & Robotics, Flight & Space, and Medical Detectives. The students are introduced to the growing number of STEM career fields and the avenues available to reach their goals. In the Gateway to Technology Program the students are able to move through the basic concepts of engineering and technology, building upon them by using their own creativity to solve more complex problems, as well as becoming inventors in their own right. Not only are these valuable lessons in the STEM fields, but can be applied across all disciplines and career paths.
In 2015-2016 Loganville Christian Academy introduced the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Science Program at the high school level. The rigorous and relevant three-course PLTW Biomedical Science sequence allows students to investigate the roles of biomedical professionals as they study the concepts of human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and public health. Students engage in activities like investigating the death of a fictional person to learn content in the context of real-world cases. They examine the structures and interactions of human body systems and explore the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease - all while working collaboratively to understand and design solutions to the most pressing health challenges of today and the future. Each course in the Biomedical Science sequence builds on the skills and knowledge students gain in the preceding courses.
The short term success of our STEM initiative is already evident by the increased student interest in pursuing challenging high school courses in biomedical studies, various engineering areas, and advanced calculus. The long term success of our STEM initiative is measured by the number of graduates who pursue biomedical and other STEM field degrees, the increased number of young women pursuing STEM degrees, overall advancement into STEM fields as careers, and the ability to focus their problem solving skills and talents to finding solutions for societal issues in our global communities. The proof of the success is more than just an increase on the scores of high stakes tests, it is in the long term focus toward STEM fields, and in our students doing their part in maintaining the sustainability of the great earth that God has so graciously given to us.