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In its process of creating a new STEAM high school in Syracuse ahead of Micron’s projected workforce boom in central New York, the Syracuse City School District announced it’s considering a contract renewal with the Buck Institute for Education PBLWorks for project-based curriculum.

After SCSD announced its plan to begin construction on the STEAM school in summer 2023, the board began talks to renew the contract and implement it in existing SCSD schools. Following pandemic delays, Jody Manning, the executive director of planning and PR for STEAM, confirmed the school is set to open in 2025.

The new high school will offer technical concentrations, with construction set to start this summer following delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, Jody Manning, the executive director and planning STEAM principle explained.

Jody Manning, the executive director and planning STEAM principal, said that although the pandemic brought delays, it also created the time period which saw Amazon and Micron invest in the school. Amazon invested $1.75 million, which will go towards a new robotics lab.

The school will offer concentrations that local economic development organizations, like CenterState CEO, will determine based on a needs assessment in collaboration with the city of Syracuse. Students will pursue these concentrations while working toward a regents diploma, which is New York state’s local diploma.

“There are a number of schools that offer the trades. This is the next level up,” Manning told the D.O.

The renewed agreement, announced at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, works to establish classes designed for students to investigate and respond to problems in the STEAM fields. The agreement also sets a goal to create a clear understanding of the Gold Standard PBL for all PBL district and school leaders.

In the Gold Standard PBL practice, teachers use seven project-based teaching practices, which include design and plan; align to standards; build the culture; manage activities; scaffold student learning; assess student learning and engage and coach.

The district hopes to have 100% of teachers at PBL schools plan and deliver a PBL lesson in an effort to make the curriculum accessible to all SCSD students. SCSD currently implements PBL at Dr. King Elementary and Blodgett Middle School.

In the new STEAM high school, Manning said PBL is set to establish an active and hands-on learning environment.

“Everything is project based, so they’re authentic projects. And we’re gonna try to integrate everything as much as possible,” Manning said.

At STEAM, planned curriculum offers concentrations that local economic development organizations, like CenterState CEO, will determine in collaboration with the city of Syracuse based on a needs assessment conducted in April 2021. Students will pursue these concentrations while working toward a regents diploma.

The concentrations, similar to a college major or minor, will provide students with credentials recognized by companies like Micron. Concentrations include visual arts, entertainment engineering, data analytics, construction management and robotics and automation. Manning said the robotics and automation program will feature a FANUC certification, which was previously not available anywhere in New York state.

The school will also offer a semiconductor manufacturing technology concentration, which will include coursework in circuit design, manufacturing engineering materials and industrial automation, according to the SCSD’s plan for the STEAM school.

Manning said the concentration was developed as a response to Micron’s up-to $1 billion investment to build a chip manufacturing facility in Clay, New York.

“When Micron announced they were coming here, we did add that as a concentration because there will be needs for workers in that area,” Manning said. “There are career opportunities at the end of each of these (concentrations).”

Manning said every organization involved in the STEAM school plans, including Micron, met with SCSD to help draft a curriculum. He added that Micron not only provided advisers and overall expertise, but also a financial contribution.

The STEAM high school’s semiconductor concentration is part of the broader local push to establish educational systems related to semiconductor manufacturing technology, which is in line with Micron’s prediction of 50,000 New York jobs resulting from the facility.

Other educational initiatives include a collaboration between Micron and Syracuse University through the Future-Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium in the College of Professional Studies, as well as a new partnership and working relationship with the university’s Student Association.

“This is just really reimagining teaching and learning to prepare students,” Manning said.

Published on February 28, 2023 at 2:10 am

Contact Kendall: kaluther@syr.edu