THE WEEKLY HERALD   EVERETT, WASHINGTON
Published: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

New program preps teens for STEM careers

SCHOOLS | By Katie Murdoch, Herald writer
  • Visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) Magnet School watch as a robotics student explains a cardboard model upgrade to a ball launcher, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. The ball launcher will be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

    Weekly Herald/CHRIS GOODENOW

    Visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) Magnet School watch as a robotics student explains a cardboard model upgrade to a ball launcher, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. The ball launcher will be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

  • Robotics program students (three on left), and visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) program watch as a foam basketball is launched across the room, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. An upgraded version of the ball launcher is planned to be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

    Weekly Herald/CHRIS GOODENOW

    Robotics program students (three on left), and visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) program watch as a foam basketball is launched across the room, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. An upgraded version of the ball launcher is planned to be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

  • Meadowdale High School senior Trevor Larsen (right) shows visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) Magnet School a cardboard model upgrade to a ball launcher, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. The ball launcher will be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

    Weekly Herald/CHRIS GOODENOW

    Meadowdale High School senior Trevor Larsen (right) shows visitors for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathamatics) Magnet School a cardboard model upgrade to a ball launcher, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 at Mountlake Terrace High School. The ball launcher will be placed on the robotics team's robot to compete in the Seattle Regionals of the FIRST Robotics Challenge, March 22 to 24. The Edmonds School District is introducing the technology-driven STEM Magnet School, debuting this fall at Mountlake Terrace HS. Students who will enroll will have math and science heavy curriculum for their four years of high school. In part, though tours of the school, district officials are trying to entice students who will be freshman in the fall to enroll.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Tyler Baker found his niche in engineering at Mountlake Terrace High School.

He joined the school's robotics team his freshman year and made true friends with whom he could be himself.

“The robotics team really is more of a robotics family,” he said.

Now a freshman at the University of Washington, Baker said his high school experience – including courses in engineering, calculus and college-level Advanced Placement physics – also prepared him for the rigors of college science and math.

“I feel really confident in my college classes,” he said.

The Edmonds School District hopes to replicate Baker's experience. Starting this fall, Mountlake Terrace High School will offer a STEM Magnet High School, a program open to all incoming ninth-graders.

With a heavy emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, the accelerated four-year program will prepare students for STEM programs at universities in Washington and nationwide. Students involved all four years will receive a STEM diploma in addition to a regular high school diploma.

“We're always looking for ways to engage and hook (students), and this is an attempt to do that,” Principal Greg Schwab said.

Incoming freshmen who plan to enroll in geometry or higher math are encouraged to enter the STEM program. However, students who take geometry as sophomores can begin the STEM program that year. Students who live outside Mountlake Terrace High School's boundaries would be responsible for transportation to and from school. Upperclassmen can enroll in classes but won't receive the additional diploma.

Mountlake Terrace's low enrollment and existing pre-engineering program, “Project Lead the Way,” made it a likely fit for the STEM Magnet program. The school has room for roughly 300 more students. The existing pre-engineering courses will be carried into the STEM curriculum but packaged into a four-year program.

The district's location in the region puts students in the center of a STEM-based business community with companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Zymogenetics, district officials said.

District officials are creating partnerships with local colleges, universities and technology-based companies to prepare high school students for college and employment in STEM-related fields, which are considered hot career opportunities.

Seeing how their classroom lessons are applied in the real world gives relevance to what students are learning, administrators said.

“It answers the age-old question, ‘When are we ever going to use this?'” Assistant Principal Peter Schurkep said.

New diploma program
WHAT: A new STEM Magnet High School program next fall offers an accelerated four-year diploma path that prepares students for science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs at universities.
WHERE: Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Ave. W, Mountlake Terrace
WHEN: Program tours are at 3 p.m. Feb. 8 and 15. Deadline to enroll is Feb. 17.
MORE INFO: 425-431-7776, visit www.edmonds.wednet.edu/STEM