STEM profile schools
Nobody can step out of their apartment door without being confronted with nature and its phenomena. With every step with which we move through the world, we are surrounded by physical phenomena, biological processes and chemical compositions of our environment. Technological advances mean that almost every moment of the day we also encounter technology and its advantages and disadvantages.
STEM profile in schools
At schools with a STEM profile (sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the focus is on researching, understanding and linking all those phenomena that students encounter every day. Of course, the STEM subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and computer science are also taught at other schools, but what is special about STEM schools is that there is a greater focus on these areas. These types of schools offer an increased number of school hours in the STEM disciplines.
These "extra hours" ensure that the teachers have enough time to work with their students in a practical way. On the one hand, this includes experimenting in order to understand well-known phenomena and laws, on the other hand, it also includes the child conducting their own research. These additional hours also offer the opportunity to go on excursions to research centres, museums or laboratories. At our Gymnasium, we put these “extra hours” into practice e.g. in the weekly project days.
In addition to the more intensive teaching in terms of time and content, STEM schools take part in competitions such as the Mathematics Olympiads and “Jugend forscht”. In this way, pupils can not only demonstrate their skills and passion in class and in classwork but can also exchange ideas with their peers and discuss problems together. These competitions also strengthen the positive view on curiosity, experiment and creativity.
Creativity is intelligence having fun
According to Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists in modern physics, creativity is intelligence having fun. It is our goal to promote this creativity in growing young people in a more targeted manner. This is why we combine the STEM profile at the Mentora Gymnasium, with a focus on the fine arts. We will write more about this addition for you in the near future.