CANAAN COMMUNITY ACADEMY RECEIVES IDOE STEM CERTIFICATION

First school in Jefferson County to receive this certification

Canaan Community Academy was recently certified as one of 19 schools in Indiana to join a select list of schools that excel in teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) they earned the distinction as being the only one in Jefferson County being named with the honor.

Indiana’s STEM certification program was created in 2015, and recognizes schools that are committed to teaching science, technology, engineering and math. Canaan is the only is the first Jefferson County School to receive this certification and also the first Kindergarten through Eighth Grade school in the state to earn the designation.

Rhonda Pennington, chief administrative officer of Canaan Community Academy commends every staff member and every student who made the certification possible by exploring, experiencing and excelling daily.

STEM certification is a rigorous two-year process that required Canaan Community Academy to submit curriculum, lesson plans, students’ evidence and demonstrate collaboration to the community. 

an IDOE team came on-site to the school where student STEM ambassadors led them on a tour of the campus, shared information and provided project demonstrations. Staff members were also interviewed.

The STEM certification must be renewed every five years so the process does not end with certification.

a five-year plan has been developed to achieve that goal with STEM-based professional development for the teaching staff “to help us grow as educators to help our students grow.” Additionally, each year they will “constantly be improving their technology.

STEM education provides students with a well-rounded foundation of skills to help them understand a wide-range of concepts, and thrive in many industries