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This summer, our community awaits the graduation of the first I-STEM cohort from Aldershot School in Burlington.
Halton District School Board (HDSB) introduced the I-STEM program at Aldershot School in 2018. Based on the program's success, it was offered at Elsie MacGill Secondary School in Milton in 2022 and will soon be available at T.A. Blakelock High School in September 2023.
I-STEM (an acronym for innovation, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program is open to HDSB students entering starting in Grade 9. This projects-based and experiential learning program follows the Ontario curriculum but focuses on larger, real-world projects to deliver the curriculum.
Chloe Lee-Yow, a resident of the Iroquois Ridge neighbourhood, was one of the current grade-12 students who rode for more than 1.5 hrs each way on a private bus arranged by Oakville parents to Aldershot High School when they started high school in 2018.
Her mom was the first person who told her about the new I-STEM program. "I figured out from the Q&A video that this was more hands-on and STEM focussed, which was something I was really into," Lee-Yow recounted.
As per the I-STEM roadmap, grade 9 is the engineering year; grade 10 is the entrepreneurial year; grade 11 focuses on global competencies; and grade 12 is the specialization year (where students choose I-STEM courses that interest them).
Though Lee-Yow's dad was worried about the long ride, she was willing to try a new program because of the lack of adequate challenges in middle school. "Unlike a lot of students who are good with traditional ways of learning, I'm a visual and kinesthetic learner. This program helped me a lot with focusing on leadership and collaborative opportunities," she explained.
After graduation, Lee-Yow will study Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program at McMaster University.
Jamie Mitchell, I-STEM program lead, said about the first cohort, "I'm very proud of our graduates. Having taught them for the past four years, I feel a large connection to their class."
This program was a direct result of the Program and Accommodation Review Committee process undertaken by HDSB leading up to the 2019 school year.
"Instead of deciding to close Aldershot school due to declining enrollment, the HDSB undertook a process to find a way to attract students to the school. The result of consultations with various stakeholders, including parents, students, educators, post-secondary partners and industry leaders, was the I-STEM Program," Mitchell recounted.
He also pointed out that considering I-STEM is a four-year program, sometimes it isn't always apparent where the student growth lies.
"Now, we have students exiting the program who have won major awards and scholarships for their post-secondary programs, who are by and large pursuing STEM-related fields," he added.
"What we emphasize to the teaching staff is that if students learn the curriculum the exact same way as non-ISTEM students, then we haven't done our job. It's about working in groups, problem-solving and working through your ideas critically to ensure you've thought of all the possible solutions," Kimberley Greenwood, another I-STEM lead, explained.
Speaking of the disruptions caused by COVID, Greenwood recounted how the students have moved from in-person to online learning multiple times.
"There really hasn't been a "regular" year until their grade 12 year. So I am proud of them and their persistence and resilience," she added.
Dispelling parents' concerns over whether the I-STEM program is advanced or interdisciplinary, Greenwood said the idea of an interdisciplinary approach means one needs to work with others and understand relationships between subjects.
"This is real life. When we think of life outside of school, it does not exist in a bubble. There are always other considerations/perspectives in decision-making. Not only do we challenge our students academically, but we also challenge them to see the whole picture when making decisions," she highlighted.
