New tech academy hosts its first STEAM Night

SAN BENITO — As summer vacation continues to draw closer to an end for San Benito students, back-to-school festivities are approaching.

Robotics, coding and science experiments are a few of the many activities that San Benito’s Dr. Raul Garza, Jr. STEAM Academy will have at their first STEAM Night.

Parents and students will be able to visit the campus’ newly remodeled facilities like the engineering room, computer and Mine Craft labs and the main hallway. They’ll also be able to meet the school’s STEAM Team teachers.

This school year, the academy’s teachers will begin an eight to 12 month training to obtain a national certification under STEAM. Academy principal Elsa Lambert said “they’ll be the only one in the Valley that will have that certification when they complete the training.”

“So, having all of that training for the teachers is a big plus because in turn they’ll be well prepared to teach the children,” she said.

“We hope that families will gain an understanding of what STEAM is and will be able to see the kind of activities that their children will be partaking in on a daily basis as they go through the STEAM Academy,” Lambert said.

“Our goal is to create thinkers and problem solvers,” she said. “So, providing that curriculum to them on a daily basis will hopefully create a passion in our children so that in turn, they can be able to be successful in this economy.”

STEAM is Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.

Superintendent Dr. Nate Carman said the school it “going to look very different.”

“It’s not a traditional school,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the reactions from the parents and students. I think they’re going to see that it’s not just a STEAM academy by name.”

Lambert has received “wonderful feedback from parents.”

“It’s very high energy with the parents, children and the community,” she said. “Everyone is excited about coming in on the first day of school.”