Endeavor Plus: The New STEM Program from Endeavor Schools
Endeavor Schools has created a new program that gives children the opportunity to learn STEM through innovative, hands-on projects that enhance their understanding of technology that is a part of their everyday life.
Endeavor Plus is a new STEM-based program from Endeavor Schools that offers students an immersive and active way to learn about science and technology. From building robots to piloting drones, students learn STEM through interactive projects that are engaging, enjoyable, and, most importantly, educational.
Created by Ray Marker, the Director of Endeavor Plus, this exciting new program eschews the passivity of many STEM programs and immerses students in collaborative projects that enable them to understand how technology works and how to use it effectively and productively.
“This program is really about empowerment,” Marker said. “Some STEM programs tend to be too passive. They’ll give students tablets and have them do activities on a screen. But quite often, that sort of passivity can be unproductive. With Endeavor Plus, our students engage in active and collaborative learning, which gives them a deep understanding of the information they’re working with.”
The Endeavor Plus program consists of various modules where students work on collaborative projects. The modules include building robots; drone piloting; 3D printing; music tech; hacking and security; photo tech, and much more. Each module allows students to explore the topic while learning stacking skills that can be applied to other subjects and knowledge areas.
For Marker, a major purpose of Endeavor Plus is to enable children to understand the technological concepts they are surrounded by every day and take control of it.
“Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,’ and that can be a reason some feel overwhelmed or even wary of technology,” Marker said. “We want our students to have the confidence to know that they can understand technology and work with it.”
From his experience teaching STEM to students for many years, one of Marker’s favorite moments is seeing when a student begins to understand something that had previously been unknown to them.
“That moment that light bulb clicks – when they realize that what they watch on Netflix actually comes from a server connected to a network of wires and cables underneath the ocean – seeing that moment of understanding is special,” he said.
Although STEM is a major component of Endeavor Plus, it doesn’t stop there. The program also includes ‘Let’s Move,’ which combines sports, fitness education, and dance.
By combining STEM education with physical fitness and movement, Endeavor Plus is a fantastic way for children to stay active, something that is often overlooked in enrichment programs.
To keep parents in the loop about their child’s progress in the program, Endeavor Plus instructors send weekly newsletters about the subject material, project plans, and learning goals. In addition, parents receive weekly updates on their child’s progress.
This gives parents knowledge about how well their child is doing in the program, as well as extra insight into their child’s talents and interests.
Through a combination of STEM and physical fitness programs, Endeavor Plus offers one of the most well-rounded extracurricular programs available.
Endeavor Plus will be available at several of our schools throughout the country. Registration will begin in July for the fall semester.