San Carlos Education Foundation’s Fund the Future campaign will also provide exploratory kits to bolster hands-on learning and ensure equity in every classroom

Since San Carlos School District (SCSD) launched its visionary Strategic Plan eight years ago, the preK-8 district has provided innovative, engaging learning experiences to ensure all students are well prepared for success in school and beyond. To support its ongoing efforts to leverage powerful 21st century approaches such as blended learning, technology-infused project based learning, and STEM, SCSD has adopted STEMscopes CA NGSS 3D in grades K-8. It will also provide hands-on kits for every classroom thanks to the Fund the Future fundraising campaign by the San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF), a nonprofit supported by local parents.

SCSD, which is located midway between San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., began using STEMscopes CA NGSS 3D this fall. The phenomena-based, three-dimensional STEM curriculum is built on the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) and aligned to the California Science Framework. SCSD teachers chose STEMscopes after a comprehensive evaluation of several NGSS-aligned programs.

“Teaching science has been a challenge during the pandemic. The beauty of STEMscopes is that it’s a hands-on program. Students aren’t just reading about science; they’re experiencing science,” said SCSD Assistant Superintendent Hans Barber. “Our teachers also like that the curriculum is continuously updated based on teacher input, it has built-in supports, and they can easily differentiate for students within the program.”

Last year’s Fund the Future campaign (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOy0DB13EPg) was dedicated to providing K-8 students in SCSD with hands-on learning opportunities, experiences to drive a love of science, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving skills.

“Equity is very important to us. We raise money so that every child in every classroom has access to a quality education,” said SCEF Executive Director Kathy Parmer-Lohan. “When we heard the school district was adding STEMscopes to its curriculum, we were excited to add the kits to our campaign because we knew parents would want their children to have these hands-on STEM experiences.”

“The support from SCEF allows us to do so many things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do,” said Barber. “The STEMscopes kits will allow our teachers and students to go even deeper with the curriculum. One of the easiest ways to catch students’ attention is to do hands-on activities. As we come back from the pandemic, what better time to emphasize this type of learning.”

About STEMscopes

STEMscopes is a comprehensive suite of results-oriented STEM curriculum and professional development solutions used by 6 million students and 600,000 teachers across all 50 states. STEMscopes was developed by Accelerate Learning Inc. in partnership with Rice University. For information, visit stemscopes.com or call toll-free 800-531-0864.

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