Nashville, TN – Today, the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) announced 13 new schools have received the Tennessee STEM/STEAM Designation for 2024. This honor recognizes schools across the state for preparing students for postsecondary and future career success by committing to promote STEM/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) learning for all students. Since the designation process launched in 2018, 127 schools have earned the Tennessee STEM/STEAM Designation, which provides a roadmap for schools to successfully implement a STEM/STEAM education plan at the local level. “These designations are testaments to the state’s commitment to educational excellence and preparing students for their futures,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “We commend these schools for prioritizing math and science education, ensuring that Tennessee students are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.” Each school that received the Tennessee STEM/STEAM School Designation underwent a rigorous application process, including completion of a self-evaluation, participation in interviews, and hosting site visits. Schools could either apply for a STEM or STEAM Designation through the designation rubric, which includes five focus areas: infrastructure, curriculum and instruction, professional development, achievement, and community and postsecondary partnerships. "Schools that earn STEM Designation incorporate strong STEM teaching and learning experiences that rest on inquiry, technology integration, work-based learning, and project/problem-based learning strategies tied to the world around us,” said Brandi Stroecker, Tennessee STEM Innovation Network Director. “Each school has a unique STEM program yet incorporates a similar approach by providing cross-curricular teaching practices where students apply the concepts they are learning. The network appreciates these schools as they are providing students with learning experiences that shape their aspirations for the future.” For the 2023-24 school year, a total 13 new schools received the Tennessee STEM/STEAM Designation:

Read all about Northview Primary's journey to Designation. To download their spotlight in an interactive pdf, click here .

Read all about Innovation Academy's journey to Designation. To download their spotlight in an interactive pdf, click here .