Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine, or STEMM, is where educators say the jobs are.

STEMM jobs are growing at a rate of 3:1 compared to other sectors of the job market.

As a result, Cardinal Stritch Catholic High School is implementing the STEMM initiative, which begins next year. By implementing a one-to-one iPad program, school officials say students can stay up to date with the latest trends in technology.

Some of the potential new classes include biomedical interventions, robotics, medical innovations, pre-medicine, molecular chemistry, and engineering design and development. The school will hold an open house November 20 from 1-4 p.m. to explain the initiative and renovation that goes along with it.

“With this whole initiative, one of the wonderful things that we are able to offer is an education that is relevant to our kids,” said Father Eric Schild, Stritch president.

“Learning can very much be exciting, so we have to use what the kids are using in order to make that exciting in many cases. So, for us to be able to offer a state-of-the-art cutting edge initiative like STEMM, like the iPad program, really does make it a place where kids want to come and learn and take it to the next level.”

Stritch will become the first PLTW (national non-profit organization Project Lead The Way) Catholic high school in the metro Toledo area to introduce the STEMM program. Still, the Oregon school is accepting only 80 freshmen next year and each will receive an iPad.

“We are very excited about that. That’s how kids learn.” said Kevin F. Perkins, vice president of advancement for the high school and Kateri Catholic Academy.

“They have to go home and learn something — they just ‘Google’ it. What we want to do is also make learning relevant; we also want to make it state of the art. We are implementing that within STEMM. STEMM also goes well beyond the technology piece, but it really is bringing in outside individuals who are expert in the field to really talk about those areas that they are living every day,” Perkins continued.

The iPad is also expected to reduce the number of textbooks, novels and paper. School officials expect students to explore everything from sheet music to the solar system on the iPad. The iPads will be used in all classes, not just those associated with STEMM.

The STEMM initiative is also expected to promote numerous collaborate partnerships with local businesses and organizations. The school expects to bring doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, accountants, computer programmers, and so forth into the classroom as a critical piece of the program.

Whether these experts team-teach with the faculty or engage the students with projects or lectures, it is expected “they will provide our students with real-world experience,” states a PowerPoint presentation the school gave to students and families.

Along with experts from the field the school expects to bring in experts from higher learning institutions.

“We’ll be working on developing those relationships with all the colleges. We’re blessed because we have these two science-based refineries literally in our backyard,” Perkins said. “We have two hospitals here that are a part of larger health care networks, in addition to Northwest Ohio being a leader in alternative energy throughout the world. So, we do feel that our network, if you draw a circle 30 miles around our campus here, we have an abundance of resources both in talent and in physical companies.”

Along with the STEMM initiative comes the STEMM corridor — an area along one of the high school’s “bridges” that will be renovated to accommodate the new classes and laboratories.

“That’s going be a key area — almost like a great collaborative tool,” said Perkins. “Teachers right across the hall from one another will really be embracing the STEMM mindset as well.

“The great thing is STEMM is really a progressive entity. Next year, we can already start looking at offering molecular chemistry and courses like that to really starting embrace the chemists and scientists that call this area a home, or work here at least. As we grow and build the program, we’ll have a STEMM coordinator — someone who is responsible for this as well,” added Perkins.

Perkins says as technology changes, the STEMM program will adjust.

“We’ll be exploring because every day countless apps are added. We have a committee together that will be looking at the apps,” Perkins said. “We already know several that are already out there that are good, but we certainly feel comfortable saying 10 months from now, the world can be a lot different in the app world. We’re excited about being able to stay up to date with the amount of apps and whatever else they have.

“The STEMM program is a program that grows each year,” Perkins continued. “It doesn’t all come into existence next year because we have to build up to some of the more advanced classes.

“You are going to see classes here next year that are very advanced — robotics, for instance. Those are things that obviously can only come after they’ve had the foundation. This doesn’t mean that we are doing away with biology — they are still taking biology and chemistry. We don’t stop offering biology, but we also still have the arts — band and choir and art classes, but we understand this is where the emphasis needs to be. But this is very much a program for those who want to get into these STEMM fields and have an overview of everything and to peak their interest in them.”

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