STEM Academic Project

The inclusion of the comprehensive academic project is a defining feature of the STEM program.  Students work collaboratively with others in the classroom to prepare a final presentation for display to peers, instructors and families on the last day.  The overarching goal for the academic project is for students to advance their knowledge and practice the skills they are learning through the core material in your specific curriculum.

Students will be given free time to work on their projects, individually or in groups per the instructor preference each afternoon. The total time students should expect to spend on their projects is between 12 – 15 hours of out-of-class work. Instructors should set the expectations and project goals for the students accordingly. Students will be required to present their work at the closing event on July 5th.

Projects should incorporate, to the extent possible, the use of the incredible resources available at Brown University.  Instructors will be provided with detailed information on the Academic Project as well as an Academic Project template that will be due to the Program Director by May, 10, 2019.

Curriculum Review Sessions

The STEM program includes an additional resource for instructors to discuss, plan, review, implement and evaluate their teaching with the assistance of the Program Director and STEM Curriculum Coordinator.   Instructors are expected to meet with the Curriculum Coordinator and/or Program Director to review the academic projects, overall curriculum plan and discuss strategies for making the classroom an inclusive student-centered learning environment for this younger audience. 

Instructors are required to meet with the STEM staff for the following amount of time: 

Any instructor is welcome to meet more often than the minimum requirement and any of the staff are available to help answer questions as they arise.  

All instructors are asked to attend a required STEM instructor orientation May 14, 2019 and request that the TA(s) assigned to your course attend the TA Orientation on June 5, 2019.  Additionally, there are optional events that you are welcome to attend: two Inclusive Teaching Pedagogy workshops hosted by the Sheridan Center (May 6, and May 9, 2019) and the Pre-College Instructor Welcome and Summer Kick-Off.