STEM Education
STEM Education at Dakota Ridge High School
Dakota Ridge High School has many opportunities and pathways for students to develop strong STEM knowledge, skills and interests. As a comprehensive high school, DRHS strives to engage and motivate students of all abilities to pursue their choice of career.
From Career Explore to International Baccalaureate programs, Dakota Ridge has a pathway for everyone.
We are a non-selective, in-person, district- and school-funded STEM program in cooperation with DRHS science, math and engineering departments. The program offers early college credit, career connections and project-based learning featuring inquiry and problem-solving learning experiences.
Our mission is to prepare students for success in a STEM career of their choice with customizable pathways including many fields. The hope is to motivate students to thoughtfully choose rigorous courses and extracurricular activities that will engage their minds and create a solid foundation for future learning. We challenge our students to pursue these opportunities to create a rewarding and successful future.
There are many elements to the STEM program. Through coordination between several departments, we can offer a wider breadth of courses than most high schools. While there are clear progressions of courses in each department, students are encouraged to select classes that best meet their needs and interests.
The student's curiosity, interest, enthusiasm and dedication has the greatest impact on cognitive development, academic achievement and ultimately career success.
“STEM Education is an experiential learning pedagogy in which the application of knowledge and skills are integrated through in-context projects or problems focused on learning outcomes tied to the development of important college and career readiness proficiencies.” – NSTA
“A STEM program is a planned group of learning experiences that build toward an intentional STEM or STEM-related outcome.” – University of Chicago
Why STEM?
- STEM careers are in high demand.
- STEM careers are critical to our national security and economy.
- STEM careers have some of the highest starting and average salaries.
- Many STEM careers are high-paying without a college degree.
- STEM careers often lead to management and leadership positions.
- STEM careers often lead to entrepreneurship opportunities.
- STEM careers can be very emotionally satisfying:
- Discovering new things
- Designing and making new things
- Operating and maintaining critical systems and national infrastructure
- Identifying and solving problems
STEM-Endorsed Diploma
DRHS offers students the opportunity to earn a STEM-endorsed diploma. This endorsement tells colleges and employers that the student has exceeded the normal standards and has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in their STEM education. Whether looking for an internship, apprenticeship, technical training or a college education, students with the endorsement show they have what it takes to be successful.
STEM Education in Jeffco
Jeffco’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs embrace a student-driven, inquiry-embedded instructional approach, utilizing educational models such as project- or problem-based learning and design thinking.
In addition to core content, students have the opportunity to engage in industry-aligned STEM programming that develops the academic, technical and professional skills necessary for a successful future in STEM. All of Jeffco’s STEM programs emphasize durable skills such as communication and collaboration and transferable STEM-specific skills such as defining problems and designing solutions.
