Tampa Heights magnet teacher outlines robotics, music, garden and U.N. Sustainable Development projects

Jacqueline McGahn, magnet lead teacher at Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet School, described during a public comment the school's music, robotics and garden programs and a six-week United Nations Sustainable Development Goals project intended to build what she called “global leaders.”

McGahn said the school offers multiple music programs—drums, percussion, rock band and chorus—and a robotics club for second- through fifth-graders using Firo, Vex and Botley robots. She said students also will soon run a school garden club that the school developed in partnership with the City of Tampa Green Team and the school PTA.

The teacher said each grade completed a six-week “global goals” project tied to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. McGahn used the kindergarten class as an example, saying that class worked on SDG content about “life above and below water,” learning about pollution and “what they can do personally to impact that goal.”

“The way we create and build global leaders here is by innovating, campaigning, and inventing,” McGahn said. She also noted the school uses the Leader in Me program and Project Lead the Way for STEM instruction, which she said give students additional opportunities to develop leadership and technical skills.

McGahn described the garden, robotics and SDG projects as classroom-based learning and community partnerships rather than formal district initiatives. She said students will be responsible for running the garden club “coming up soon.” No formal actions, funding requests or board votes related to these programs were recorded in the provided transcript segment.