Friday Harbor High School: A Hotspot for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
by Derek Smith
It’s an exciting time for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs in this country, and Friday Harbor High School is getting in on the action in cutting-edge fashion. Last year, the San Juan Island School District was awarded a million-dollar grant from the State of Washington to design, build, and equip a state-of-the-art STEM facility on the shared high school and middle school campus as part of their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.
Former Friday Harbor High School seniors Audrey Olshefsky and Kayla
Drummond prepare for a
"UW in the High School" Oceanography lab. Photo credit: Derek Smith
The facility opened its doors in March, with the first STEM class already underway – a video game design and coding class that will pave the way for intermediate and advanced coding and design classes to include mobile app development across multiple platforms and devices. Frameworks are also currently being developed for submission to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for a new series of STEM classes beginning in Fall 2015. These classes include:
- Materials Engineering, using 3D printers and other computer-controlled manufacturing techniques
- Robotics Foundations, including designing and building aerial drones and remotely-operated underwater vehicles
- Automotive Foundations, a course providing insights into classic combustion engines through to hybrid and electric vehicle design
- Digital Photography, using everything from iPhone cameras to professional DSLRs
- Social Media Marketing, to highlight personal and organizational branding of the amazing opportunities the STEM program will create
The STEM program promises to be a wonderful creative laboratory where the students can bring their wildest dreams to life and help provide solutions to our local, regional, and national communities.
