The teaching staff and the students attending the Texans Can Westcreek High School in Fort Worth are excited to begin participating in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative developed by LEGO^®. An education based on the STEM initiative is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, and work enabling the development of skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

“It’s exciting that our school was selected for this program,” said Fort Worth Can Academy - Westcreek campus Principal Ku-Masi Lewis, “Our students and our teachers are very enthusiastic about participating. Made possible through the generous donation by the Ryan Foundation, as well as funds that were raised from the 2018 Spring Golf Tournament, a 3-D printer has been purchased. It will be positioned in the STEM lab along with printer related supplies. We have many students already preparing to participate. We are ready to make this STEM lab rock and roll.”

Teaching staff will be going through training in early November, and the STEM lab will open soon afterward. As the program gets underway, the students will build LEGO^® robots from kits. They will program the robots to perform multiple tasks - from simple to complex. Each year LEGO^® provides a theme, such as Space Exploration, Ocean Exploration or Geriatric Living. The teams will learn from each other, as well as compete with each other in local, regional and national events.

At each competitive event, the judging isn’t just what team can do what robotic task the fastest. A presentation is also required by each team. It can be in the form of a play, a radio show, a slideshow or even a written paper or poster. This allows the judges to measure the amount of interaction and division of duties within each team.

Teachers know that hands-on learning engages students at every level, sparks creativity, develops critical thinking skills, ignites career possibilities — and is just plain fun.

LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® Education is a hands-on, cross-curricular STEM solution that engages students by providing the resources to design, build and program their creations while helping them develop essential 21st-century skills.

Texans Can Academies provides an educational route for youth and non-traditional students in need, who would otherwise not have the means to receive a proper high school education. Many of the students who attend the schools experience barriers to their education such as poverty, little access to basic resources, early parenthood and more. Today, Texans Can has 14 campuses located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio and has impacted the lives of over 151,000 students. 

Texans Can Academies -- Graduating thinkers by giving them a second chance with help from people like you! For more information, please visit www.texanscan.org.