STEM

Powhatan County Public Schools has a long tradition of supporting STEM initiatives and coursework, as we believe these skills are an essential component in preparing today’s students for college and/or career. Additionally, we believe a problem-based, STEM-rich curriculum makes for a highly engaging and challenging learning environment.

In the spring of 2015, a STEM Steering Committee convened to develop a comprehensive K-12 STEM Plan, with the goal of ensuring that all students are continually exposed to developing technologies, coding, and engineering design projects that are both age-appropriate and thoughtfully aligned to the Virginia Standards of Learning.

Each of our elementary and middle schools have well-equipped STEM labs. Our STEM coaches collaborate with classroom teachers to develop high-quality lessons.Powhatan High School offers a wide variety of STEM coursework and extra-curricular activities in science, computer science, engineering, and mathematics.

2023 STEM Expo Tickets!

STEM Program Info

● In the past six years, over $100,000.00 in grants have been awarded to PCPS to support STEM education: Bob and Karla Curtis, Verizon, Dominion and The Powhatan Education Foundation have generously supported our programs.

● The Powhatan High School library has a large, well-equipped maker-space that houses a collection of supplies and equipment for students to use for school and personal projects, including 3D printers, a laser cutter, several green screens, and video and audio equipment.

● Powhatan High School offers 46 different STEM courses, including a plethora of less traditional electives: Game Design and Development, Cybersecurity, Computer Systems Technology, Launch: A Design Thinking Capstone Project, Engineering I and II, Veterinary Science, Agriculture Fabrication and Emerging Technologies, Firefighting, Sports Medicine, Construction Technology, and Electricity.

● The Powhatan Middle School Innovation Lab provides cross-curricular lessons that integrate STEM into all content areas. So far this year, there have been over 3300 student visits to the Innovation Lab for 31 different lessons, and every student has had at least one opportunity for a lesson in the Lab.

● Powhatan Middle School students have the opportunity to work on independent STEM projects during ACCT. Some of their favorites include solar and battery powered cars and creative cardboard structures.

● Each elementary school houses a STEM Lab where STEM coaches work with classroom teachers to provide lessons for all grade levels, and teachers can check out materials or bring classes in for hands-on lessons. Students also study and care for worm bins, giant hissing cockroaches, ants, and brook trout, our state fish.

● STEM Days are held in each elementary school for every grade level, K-5, where students explore a science topic in the morning and then apply what they have learned with an engineering challenge related to real-world topics.

● PCPS has three full time STEM coaches who develop curriculum, collaborate with teachers, and conduct STEM lessons with students.

● PCPS offers a variety of activities to engage students in STEM, including summer and after-school camps, special events during the school day, field trips, and STEM-based clubs and competitions. Frequently, community partners collaborate with PCPS in these endeavors.