Higher Ground Combines Arts with STEM

Written by Bill Laurienti

We’re advocates for integrating arts into STEM—or STEAM.

Digital arts offer an engaging vehicle to explore the “T” in STEM, builds advanced communication skills, and integrates well with core academic subjects. Moreover, art can connect learners who do not naturally gravitate to science and math to the field of STEM.

The emphasis on STEAM at the SmartLab HQ program at Higher Ground Academy in St. Paul plays a key role in the school’s overall academic strategy. SmartLab Learning continues to motivate learners and help Higher Ground close the achievement gap.

Bill Laurienti

Bill Laurienti is a Content Marketing Specialist at Creative Learning Systems. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education (English) from Colorado Mesa University and a Master of Arts in Secondary Teaching from the University of California's Rossier School of Education. Bill came to CLS after 10 years in the secondary classroom. He believes SmartLabs are important tools for engaging unengaged students and helping them access careers they might not otherwise have imagined.

Case Study

Going beyond STEM to teach essential skills

When the team at Jewell Houston Academy, a magnet school in Texas, looked for a STEM program, they wanted one that would not only engage students in STEM careers but could also teach conflict-resolution, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills.

Read about how the SmartLab HQ impacted both learners and enrollment.

View the Case Study

Higher Ground Combines Arts with STEM

Bill Laurienti

Going beyond STEM to teach essential skills

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