LCM High School was recently approved as a STEM Academy, placing it into a select group of schools that were accepted for the program this year. According to administrators, LCM was one of 16 schools out of 90 to be accepted, and this achievement is an honor for the district, as well as an exciting experience for the faculty and student body.

T-STEM stands for Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and is run by the Texas Education Agency. LCM is the only non-charter public school, along with already existing schools in Region V, to receive this designation.

“We had to apply to the system, which included going through a long process,” Assistant Principal Kristy Brown said. “STEM has a blueprint, which is a very lengthy process judged by reviews on the school itself.”

According to Brown, this program will change the current curriculum to include a more real world and project based learning system.

“This course will implement a professional based atmosphere for projects,” Brown said. “It will teach students how to dress, the way to present themselves, and proper mannerisms for interviews. This brings new pathways such as engineering, which we have opened this year.”

Brown said the changes in curriculum and partnership with STEM will help students get a better understanding of that next step after high school, and will better prepare them for their future careers. The partnership with UT Tyler that was included in the STEM connection helps train teachers to be better educated about the system, and the university also helps with funding and other programs.

Because of this new partnership, the academy has offered the concepts of engineering and is looking forward to opening a veterinarian program, which will be in a partnership with A&M.

“This will branch out to avenues of engineering, turn our robotics club into a class, and soon open up more fields besides engineering,” Brown said.

According to LCM High School Principal Dr. Terri Estes, she and the rest of the administration are very proud of the work the school has done with this new program, as well as being recognized by the state.

“(I am very) excited because it’s on the cutting edge and the opportunities are wide open,” Estes said. “It’s going to give our kids a leg up, along with giving students an advantage that most kids won’t have. It will give us a competitive edge.”

Teachers have already begun working hard to incorporate new concepts into their classrooms and have made the necessary changes in order to better their students.

“The faculty has exceeded my expectations at how willing they are to participate,” Estes said. “The students will learn in a more active way and will be more prepared for college.”