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Franklin Elementary highlights career expo, chess teams and plans for STEM certification
Summary
Franklin Elementary and district partners presented student recognitions (chess teams), Rotary Youth Leadership speaker reflections, the college-and-career expo (65 vendors, ~775 students) and a multi-year plan to pursue Indiana STEM certification using PLTW grants and an advisory committee.
The School City of Hammond celebrated student achievements and outlined plans to expand STEM offerings at Franklin Elementary during the May 12 board meeting.
Mrs. Cindy Murphy, the districtwide chess coordinator, introduced chess teams and student qualifiers who represented Hammond at state competitions; she recognized coaches and retiring staff and read names of students who qualified for individual and team state tournaments.
Cal Bellamy of the Rotary Club of Hammond introduced five Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipients. Several students described how the program boosted leadership, communication and problem-solving skills; student Noah Swift thanked Rotary and Mayor McDermott for the opportunity.
Principal Regina Grohart detailed Franklin's college-and-career expo (held March 12): the event has grown to about 65 vendors, and Grohart said roughly 775 students attended this year. She credited partners including Purdue University Northwest (PNW) and the area career center for sponsorships and logistical support; Christina Maldonado (PNW's director of admissions) spoke about the value of early exposure to postsecondary pathways.
Grohart also presented Franklin's plan to pursue STEM certification through the Indiana Department of Education. The school chose Project Lead The Way (PLTW) for curriculum alignment; Grohart said PLTW grants covered roughly $20,000 to buy materials and provide teacher training at no cost to the district. She described the IDOE rubric process (application accepted at the developing stage), an assigned IDOE specialist who met with the school, a local advisory committee (PNW, IU Northwest, Kelly College, BP, YMCA, Hammond Public Library, Cleveland-Cliffs and others), and a multiyear timeline targeting documentation submission by spring 2028. Grohart noted many teachers completed PLTW training during early-release days and that the school will continue cross-curricular implementation in coming school years.
Board members thanked staff and partners and noted the video of the expo shown during the meeting. The board did not take formal action on the STEM plan during the meeting; Grohart described upcoming parent/community meetings scheduled to explain the initiative.
