STEM @ Compass

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math encompasses learning through doing and discovering in real world scenarios. By allowing our students to blow and catch bubbles, we can see how colorful they are, what shape they are, and what they feel like when they pop as the bubbles swirl and float all around us. We can go further and ask, can we change the shape, or can we paint a picture with bubbles? These questions often arise in the midst of playing with the bubbles, and are usually asked by the students! STEM programs are valuable because they complement the standard preschool curriculum by reinforcing pre-math skills, expanding vocabulary, providing multi-sensory exploration, and piquing interest and awareness in the world happening to your child.

Preschoolers are perfect scientists - curious, motivated to discover, and with a knack for finding adventure around every corner. Our familiar world is brand new to them and every observation carries potential to be an eye opening lesson. Introducing STEM based learning opportunities in early childhood not only hones creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving, it has many other benefits such as promoting interest in these important subjects later in life, and decreasing intimidation and stereotyping among peers. STEM skills are more important than ever as technology becomes more and more entwined into our daily lives. Early exposure to these science based skills gives your child an advantage in this ever increasing digital world.

The Compass STEM Stars Enrichment program on Tuesdays and Fridays leads your preschooler through an already familiar world, as we explore science, technology, engineering, and math through familiar objects like bubbles, balls, balloons, cardboard boxes, and more. Many of our students have played with these objects before, but in STEM Stars, these toys become tools for discovery and innovation, as we learn how to use our senses to “see” these toys in new ways, how to ask questions, and even how we can use them in different ways than we are used to.

In class we explore and ask questions, carry out fun, safe, age appropriate activities, demonstrations and experiments, and discover new ways to talk about what we see and observe. Science can seem a lot like magic sometimes, but there are no tricks, smoke or mirrors in STEM Stars. We want our scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists to see the magic happening right in front of their eyes, all the better to understand the world around them. Discovering the what and why our world works the way it does is the focus as we explore impressive science at work.

Our STEM Stars "disect" a computer and discover what’s inside, they build houses and other structures with cardboard boxes to learn about stability, and STEM Stars learn how bridges can be strong enough to hold heavy objects.

Young children love any opportunity to build and fit pieces together in new and creative ways. The STEM Stars Enrichment class harnesses that natural tinkering of a young child and promotes innovation and problem solving with familiar tools and objects.