Building Curiosity, Creativity, and Confidence Through STEM
Barbour County Elementary School
By Candace Jordan, BCES Principal
About the Program
At Barbour County Elementary School (BCES), we believe preparing students for the future begins with opportunities to explore, question, create, and solve problems. Through STEM integration, students connect science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to concepts they are learning in class.
Ms. Wilson supports this work through hands-on activities, investigations, and problem-solving experiences. By connecting STEM to grade-level instruction and enrichment opportunities, students can see how classroom learning applies to the world around them.
BCES students use creativity and problem-solving skills during a hands-on building activity.
Why STEM Matters
Early STEM experiences help students see themselves as thinkers, designers, creators, and problem-solvers. Activities encourage them to ask questions, test ideas, learn from mistakes, and keep trying. These experiences strengthen critical thinking, curiosity, and persistence.
Students also practice communication, teamwork, and listening to different perspectives. STEM connects classroom subjects to real-world applications: students may measure and calculate, read directions, make scientific observations, or explain how a design works. They discover that there can be more than one way to solve a problem.
Learning by Doing
STEM learning invites students to plan, build, measure, test, observe, and improve their ideas. Working with classmates helps them share responsibilities, communicate clearly, and make decisions as a team. The process matters as much as the finished product. When a project does not work as expected, students have a chance to evaluate their approach, make changes, and try again.
The Impact on Students
BCES wants STEM experiences to increase student engagement, confidence, curiosity, and participation. Hands-on activities give students different ways to demonstrate what they know and take an active role in learning.
These projects also help students recognize their individual strengths. Some may excel at designing, observing, communicating, collaborating, or persisting through a challenge. Each contribution helps students understand that their ideas and talents matter.
BCES students work in the school garden, connecting learning with real-world experiences.
Connecting Today’s Learning to Tomorrow’s Opportunities
BCES looks forward to providing more STEM challenges, investigations, collaborative projects, and design activities connected to classroom instruction. Our goal is to help students build the confidence to approach difficult tasks, the curiosity to ask questions, and the perseverance to keep working toward solutions.
Students do not have to wait until middle school, high school, or college to begin thinking like scientists, engineers, mathematicians, designers, and innovators. These habits can begin in elementary school.
At Barbour County Elementary School, we are committed to preparing students for their next grade level and future opportunities. STEM integration is one more way we help our Jaguars Adjust, Adapt, Achieve—and LEVEL UP!