Hickerson Elementary Awarded Tennessee STEM School Designation

Recently, Hickerson Elementary was awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation. This honor was developed with the guidance of the Tennessee Department of Education and the STEM Leadership Council to identify and recognize schools in their commitment to teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and integrating strategies that ultimately prepare for success in the 21st century. Learning from the state’s early investments in STEM platform schools, such schools focus on employing inquiry, project and problem- based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, and STEM enrichment activities.
The Tennessee STEM School Designation was developed to provide a “roadmap” for schools to successfully implement a STEM education plan at the local level. The Tennessee Department of Education and Tennessee STEM Innovation Network developed tools and resources to define the attributes of a comprehensive STEM learning environment for students. Schools that receive the Tennessee STEM School Designation, like Hickerson are recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education for their use of STEM teaching and learning strategies and serve as a model from which other schools may visit and learn. All K–12 schools serving students in Tennessee are eligible.
Each school that was awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation was evaluated through a rigorous application process. Schools were asked to complete a self-evaluation, participate in interviews, and host site visits with the Tennessee STEM Designation review team.