Taub Elementary’s maritime STEM club highlighted at York County school board meeting

Taub Elementary staff and students showcased the school’s Maritime STEM Club during the York County School Board meeting on Sept. 22, describing hands‑on projects and community partnerships that connect students to maritime career pathways.

Beth Welch, Taub Elementary principal, said the club launched in the 2024–25 school year with support from a DoDEA military‑connected academic support grant and “sparks curiosity, develops problem‑solving skills, and connects classroom learning to real‑world applications.”

Teacher sponsor Heather Emerson told the board the program brings families and community partners into the classroom. She highlighted a parent who is a marine technical chief engineer who helped students with a wind‑turbine build challenge, providing local career context for project work.

Students described activities and outcomes. Lily (identified in the presentation as Lily Wu) said, “This challenge showed me how STEM connects to real careers in our own community.” A fourth‑grader, Emma Belana, described using small robots to model ship navigation and said, “I discovered how important maritime trade is, and how it connects us to the world around us.” Students also noted they use robots, design and test model boats, and study local maritime jobs.

The presenter said the club aligns with the division strategic plan priority of future‑ready graduates and is supported by community guest speakers and the DoDEA grant that funded the after‑school program.

Ending: Board members and the public viewed a short video of club activities; staff did not announce expansion timelines or additional funding requests during the presentation.