STEM at Concordia

Concordia teaches STEM at every grade level, and STEM subjects are infused throughout the Concordia curriculum. With a diverse range of top-level classes, and a focus on sustainability, we provide opportunities for students to be creators rather than simply consumers of knowledge.

A Concordia student’s STEM journey begins with weekly classes in the Maker Space in elementary school, where students learn subjects like coding and sustainable engineering, and are introduced to the design process and scientific method, along with our keen focus on mathematics fundamentals. Students celebrate during fun yearly activities, such as the Week of Code and the Global Codeathon.

Our STEM program evolves through middle school, where students can learn robotics, reinforce their coding, and enhance core math and science skills.  

Concordia’s STEM program expands at the high school level to include a diverse range of subjects. Our Advanced placement STEM offerings include AP Physics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, and AP Environmental Science. Concordia also offers high level STEM electives like STEAM LAB and Robotics, as well as cutting-edge disciplines like Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning. 

We host our own annual Concordia International Research Conference (CIRCH) to provide students an opportunity to collaborate with other schools and present their research findings to a wider audience.
 

The students tackle in-house projects, utilizing data analytics, computer science, biology, and chemistry to enhance our school and community. Student-driven STEM projects have included analyzing wellness data, optimizing bus management and tracking, creating autonomous and IoT (internet of things) devices, solving robotics problems, and using machine learning to recommend books, identify bacteria in a petri dish, and recognize objects and people.

Even in elementary school, students have an opportunity to collaborate and program during Week of Code. Some projects these students have created include interactive infographic boards, which allow viewers to touch a senate and listen to facts about a subject, such as Native American agriculture. Students researched the information, installed the board wiring, and recorded the sound. Some other students worked together to program robots that could throw balls and maneuver around obstacles. 

These research projects offer students an authentic experience - something they would do outside of school.

For Computer Science related classes, Concordia students use ChatGPT and or use AI tools to help create programming scripts, review code and text. In Big Data 1 and 2, the analysis itself is not done by support of AI.

In the Machine Learning class, (Big data 3 and 4), students use AI techniques to use and create their own models/applications. The purpose of the class is to build an AI application so they have to use AI.

Concordia unites STEM education across divisions, fostering collaboration among teachers. We provide the ideal conditions, tools, and a supportive community that nurture students' growth, both academically and personally, all while preparing them for a present and future of technological progress.

Our expert teachers nurture individual STEM projects, guiding students through the scientific method and engineering design process, and offering hands-on experiences.

STEM education goes beyond rote memorization; it cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our students are encouraged to ask questions, explore possibilities, and develop creative solutions to complex problems. Through collaborative projects and challenges, they learn the value of teamwork and communication—essential skills for success in any field.

Yes, Concordia offers art throughout all grade levels. At the high school level, students can take Advanced and Advanced Placement Art, which can develop their talent and provide the foundation for pursuing art at the university level. 

We are dedicated to ensuring that STEM education is inclusive and accessible to all students. Our programs are designed to inspire students from diverse backgrounds to pursue STEM fields, breaking down barriers and promoting a more equitable future.

Concordia has continuously won the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award given by the US College Board, for its ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for female students to thrive in the STEM field. 

Concordia offers many opportunities for students to pursue STEM outside of the classroom, from after school activities and clubs to competitions and academic conferences.  Concordia’s Robotics Club sends its teams to competitions against other schools. Our Coding and Math and Science clubs allow students to fine tune their STEM skills and get better prepared for exams. Advanced math students have the chance to compete in regional and interactive competitions. And our top Big Data students have presented their findings at high level academic conferences and even published papers in peer-reviewed journals.