News Release
WARSAW — Edgewood Middle School has been certified by the Indiana Department of Education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
This certification puts Edgewood in the company of Claypool, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington elementary schools, all of whom are also certified in STEM.
Dr. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent, praised the achievement, saying, “We are so proud of Edgewood and all the work by their teachers, staff and administration to achieve this state recognition. It has been a team approach with the goal of continuing our corporation’s K-12 STEM programming and our local students will receive the benefit of this dedicated work. Warsaw Schools has proven itself as a national leader in STEM education and this recognition is another step in that continued growth to ensure we are meeting the needs of our local community industrial needs.”
Established in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools that prioritize STEM education and engage in innovative, non-traditional teaching methods, including project-based learning, community engagement, and cross-curricular collaboration. STEM Certified schools are held to rigorous educational standards, and are expected to excel under the system of accountability set by the state.
The certification process for Edgewood Middle School was strenuous, requiring teachers and administrators to complete a rigorous application and review process. The school received a perfect score from the IDOE site visit on March 15 and a near-perfect score — 74 out of 75 — on the certification report. This achievement highlights Edgewood’s commitment to focusing on 21st century skills, cross-curricular collaboration and College and Career Readiness.
To hear more about Edgewood’s STEM journey, tune in to Warsaw Community School’s TigerCast, a podcast designed to tell the story of Warsaw Schools and inform our community about the great things happening to serve our students. This past week, Edgewood Principal, JoElla Hauselman and PLTW teacher, Abbi Richreek shared about Edgewood Middle School’s STEM journey. Visit the TigerCast site to hear their story: https://www.buzzsprout.com/
In addition to the programming provided at the STEM certified buildings, WCS’s WILL (Warsaw Inquiry Learning Lab) Bus is a state-of-the-art mobile lab that serves as an interactive mobile STEM laboratory for students. WCS veteran teacher of 34 years, Dan Graney, has been recently hired as WILL Bus STEM coach and instructor. Dan also serves as the Warsaw Community Education Association (WCEA) Vice President and the elementary summer school program administrator.
