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STEM 3 Capstone Promotes Community, Service To Others

December 14, 2022

STEM 3 students with Board President VaughnSTEM 3 Students with Blankets

Pleasant Valley STEM 3 students made a difference in their community with their first capstone of the year.

Students were challenged to answer the essential question, “How can we use what we learned about our community to serve it?”

STEM 3 learners focused on five areas of the community to improve: Donna Smallwood Activity/Senior Center, Parma Hunger Center, Southwest Community Based Services formerly the Parma Collaborative, Pleasant Valley Cafeteria, and Pleasant Valley Recycling.  They presented their findings and projects to representatives in these areas earlier in December.

  • Donna Smallwood Activity/Senior Center: students honored and respected our seniors with artwork, greeting cards, snowflakes, and a large “we care” sign to hang at the center.

  • Parma Hunger Center: students helped those in need by collecting and donating canned foods to help fill the shelves during the holiday season.

  • Southwest Community Services: students made fleece tie blankets, with the help of donations from STEM families, to help keep people warm during the winter months. They also donated hats and gloves to those in need.

  • Pleasant Valley Cafeteria: students grew microgreens in their classroom from the kids provided by Spice Field Kitchen. These were donated to the cafeteria staff to prepare for students to enjoy in their salads at lunch.

  • Pleasant Valley Recycling: students gathered paper and cardboard from the school. Every other Friday, students would collect and empty 45 recycling bins. They also created posters and encourage all students and staff to recycle.

The capstone also included at-home STEM Challenges, including time capsules and community projects about places in the community.

“This is an important capstone because it allows our third graders to make a connection to what we have learned about our city and to give back to those in need,” STEM 3 Coach Jennifer Borosh expressed. “As teachers in the STEM Program, we all feel that authentic learning is evident through this Capstone project. Also, the connections and partnerships the students make within our community are priceless!”

“We hope our students have a sense of pride and accomplishment,” she further shared. “Spending their time on giving to others at such a young age gives them a sense of importance!”

We Care Sign with STEM 3 StudentsSTEM 3 with Spice Field Kitchen

Great job STEM 3! #PCSDProud