C-STEM (Catholic STEM) Program
Welcome to the repository for the C-STEM (Catholic STEM) program designed for Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic School. This repository contains the curriculum, lesson plans, and supporiting resources for Kindergarten through 6th grade. Our C-STEM curriculum, inspired by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE), integrates Catholic values with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
OLP’s C-STEM Schedule
At Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic School, we follow a five-week rotation for our C-STEM program. Each grade group progresses through hands-on activities, exploring both STEM concepts and Catholic values.
Program Overview
The C-STEM program engages students in hands-on learning while fostering their faith and understanding of God’s creation. By blending STEM concepts with Catholic teachings, students develop problem-solving skills, design-thinking abilities, and ethical responsibility. Our program emphasizes creativity and innovation while grounding students in Catholic values.
Goals
- Integrate Faith and STEM: Teach students how STEM disciplines reflect the beauty and complexity of God’s creation.
- Hands-On Learning: Provide practical, project-based experiences to help students understand and apply STEM concepts.
- Ethical Responsibility: Encourage ethical use of technology and critical thinking about innovation’s impact on the world.
- Creativity and Problem-Solving: Foster creativity and collaboration by engaging students in problem-solving challenges that encourage exploration and innovation.
Curriculum Structure
The C-STEM curriculum is organized into three grade groups, each with lesson plans tailored to the developmental stages of the students:
Each curriculum overview provides an outline of the topics covered and the Catholic values integrated into the lessons.
Lesson Plans
Our lesson plans are organized by grade group and provide detailed guidance for each class session, including objectives, materials, activities, and assessments. Each folder contains lesson plans for four weeks, integrating Catholic values into every aspect of the learning process:
Big Bang Catholic STEM Fair
The Big Bang Catholic STEM Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their science and engineering projects, demonstrating how faith and science can work together to solve real-world problems. For more information, you can read the full guide by following the link below:
Big Bang Catholic STEM Fair Information
Resources
We provide additional resources to support students, parents, and teachers in the learning process:
About the Instructor
With over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, including the last 9 years at Microsoft leading cloud architecture programs, I am excited to bring my expertise into the classroom. I hold a BS in Business Systems and am certified in both technical training and classroom instruction. The C-STEM program reflects my passion for integrating faith with STEM, helping students see how science and technology can serve God’s purpose in the world.
Contribution
If you would like to contribute to the development of this program, please see our CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Contact
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out!
Thank you for your interest in the C-STEM program, and I look forward to an exciting year ahead!