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Cheltenham rolls out K–5 STEM special and plans pathway integration; district cites major grant support
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Summary
Dr. Pimentel presented the new K–5 STEM special funded largely by a Fluxpace grant, described maker spaces and project‑based units aligned to STEALS and ISTE standards, and outlined plans to integrate STEM into high‑school pathways and credentialing.
Dr. Pimentel told the committee the district launched a K–5 STEM special this year and used grant funding to build STEM classrooms and maker spaces: “We got a half $1,000,000 grant, through Fluxpace to have funding around project based learning and STEM initiatives,” he said.
He described the STEM curriculum as project‑based and tied to Pennsylvania STEALS and ISTE standards; units are built as projects rather than traditional textbook chapters and include coding, design thinking and fabrication work. Dr. Pimentel said the grant‑supported approach allowed non‑proprietary, mixed‑tool instruction and that teachers are building curriculum locally from those tools.
At the secondary level, administrators plan to knit STEM, robotics and engineering into an 'innovator' pathway and to colocate those courses near project‑based learning labs so pathway students take required electives and core classes in a shared corridor. Dr. Pimentel described the pathway as a way to integrate credentials and micro‑credentials promised by some state programs, but noted access and implementation remain a work in progress.
Board members asked about inclusivity and supports for students with IEPs and how AI might interact with design thinking. Dr. Pimentel and other administrators said the STEM special was built to include supports from the start and that a pilot (the 'magic school' pilot) is helping staff consider AI and its instructional role.
