What is STEAM?

Today, we are living in a new era with a ‘new normal’ of uncertainty regarding our climate, economic growth, and, human rights. On both local and global stages, communities are now looking to their educational institutions to innovate in order to prepare intellectually, socially, and, emotionally competent citizens. Yet, for over a century and a half, schools have largely remained unchanged from their origins in 19th century factory models—where the school was once defined by bounded walls, and the students consumed facts and figures preparing to enter a once stable workforce.

Today, our society is asking how schools can become engaging and innovating learning spaces where students, families and the larger communities collaboratively embark on becoming problem-solvers and problem-seekers. And you need not look far, for Rio del Sol STEAM School is already here!

Across the country, a trend in innovative schools’ offerings have remained tightly coupled with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—the STEM subjects. While these 4 disciplines are important, they are not enough. The disciplines of Art & Design, from the humanities and social sciences, paired with STEM approaches ensure the development of learners who are creatively confident problem-solvers and problem-seekers. That is why we saw the need to add Art + Design to the equation — to transform STEM into STEAM.

When you enter a Rio del Sol learning studio, it should not be readily obvious what all students are learning; but what should be obvious is that students are engaged in challenging diverse and complementary inquiry projects, and have the ability to tell you exactly what they’re trying to solve in the moment and why it matters. Our students, educators and partners will embrace the diverse STEAM disciplines in a philosophy we have developed called Trans-Disciplinary ResponsiveDesign, or transD-RD, whereby teachers expertly co-engage and co-construct with their students learner- and community-centered inquiry projects driven by overarching questions.