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STEM Shuttle Comes to County Schools

The STEM Shuttle was at the Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School on Oct. 16. Here is one of the classes in front of the shuttle. Submitted photo.

The shuttle makes its first visit to Door County next week. No, not the space shuttle. This is the STEM shuttle.

“STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” said Sharon Ryan, a 5th grade teacher in Wausau who in 2006 came up with an idea to “introduce kids in 5th, 6th and 7th grades to these areas so they can think about the opportunities available to them.”

For her Masters degree, Ryan developed an integrated curriculum that gives students hands-on learning opportunities.

“I had a two-fold goal, to open opportunities for kids and get them actively involved in the lessons,” she said. “Kids are visual learners. They learn by seeing and doing.”

The ultimate result is the STEM shuttle, which is also known as the Spirit of Education, a 45-foot long coach filled with work stations to engage students from 4th through 8th grades in educational projects involving science, technology, engineering and math.

The program really took off when Ryan received the prestigious Presidential Award for Elementary Mathematics and Science Teaching, which included a $10,000 prize.

Ryan has also been named the Wisconsin Elementary Teacher of the Year, the Wisconsin Space and Aviation Teacher of the Year, the Wausau YWCA Woman of Vision Award, won the Award of Excellence from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Technology Education Association – Award of Excellence in Elementary Technology Integration, and Distinguished Science Teacher Award-Wisconsin Elementary Science Teachers.

This first visit to Door County was made possible by Delta Dental, one of the insurance carriers in the Door-Kewaunee Health Insurance Consortium.

AREA SHUTTLE SCHEDULE

Nov. 3: Washington Island Elementary School

Nov. 4: Sturgeon Bay Elementary School

Nov. 5: Sevastopol Elementary School

Nov. 11: Kewaunee Elementary School

Nov. 12: Southern Door School

Nov. 13: Algoma Elementary School