STEM Resources

What is a Makerspace?

  • A makerspace is a collaborative workspace inside a school, library, or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring, and sharing that uses high-tech to no tech tools.  These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment all types of digital machines.   

     A makerspace however doesn’t need to include only digital machines to be considered a makerspace.  If you have cardboard, legos, and art supplies you’re in business.   It’s more of the maker mindset of creating something out of nothing and exploring your own interests that is at the core of a makerspace.  These spaces are also helping to prepare those who need the critical 21st-century skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).  They provide hands-on learning, help with critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.  Some of the skills that are learned in a makerspace pertain to electronics, 3d printing, 3D modeling, coding, robotics, and even woodworking,   

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What is STEM in Lancaster ISD?

  • The Lancaster district-wide T-STEM structure sets the expectation that when students graduate from high school, they will leave our school system STEM-literate with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math and will be college and career-ready.

     In addition, they will have the principles to succeed and contribute to a competitive and technologically advancing world. Recognizing that a majority of our students will represent first-time college attendees, we have made the commitment to redesign our district by creating a cradle to careers pipeline.

     The district-wide T-STEM framework will place an emphasis on Awareness at the elementary level, Exposure and Engagement at the middle school level, and will lead to Experience and Articulation at the high school level. As a result, our students will leave us college prepared and ready to become contributing members of a STEM future.

     STEM is a meta-discipline or a focused integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Through STEM, Lancaster ISD students will gain authentic learning experiences through problem-based learning.

STEM Pipelines 

  • The Lancaster ISD STEM pipelines have been chosen to align with industry needs and state industry clusters. Problem-based learning and STEM will be instituted in every classroom district-wide. STEM-focused projects with problem-based learning activities will be created using a variety of technology and media and be demonstrated in a virtual showcase.