Par Excellence STEM Academy: Inclusive STEM Learning That Smashes Barriers
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For the 2024–25 school year, Par Excellence STEM Academy was recognized as the only school in Ohio to receive an initial STE(A)M School Designation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Located in Newark, Ohio, Par Excellence is a tuition-free public charter school serving students across Licking County, with a clear commitment to equity, inclusion, and high-quality STEM learning for all.
We spoke with Allison Shardell, Ph.D., Director of Student Services and STEM at Par Excellence STEM Academy, to learn more about the school’s mission, its STEM journey, and what sets its program apart.
Interested in pursuing STEM or STE(A)M School Designation? Learn more about the process, supports, and upcoming opportunities on the Ohio STEM Learning Network’s STEM School: STEM Designation Page
Q: Can you tell us about Par Excellence Academy, its students, mission, and the community it serves?
Par Excellence STEM Academy provides a challenging, inclusive, and authentic learning experience that ignites curiosity, builds creative and critical thinkers, promotes empathy and equity, and fosters collaboration and engagement. We want students to know STEM is for all and that barriers to learning are meant to be smashed. We believe there is a scientist and mathematician in every person, and that race, disability status, gender, socioeconomic status, or ZIP code should not limit access to high-quality education.
As the only community school in Licking County, we serve an urban population that is nearly 100% free and reduced lunch eligible, with high rates of homelessness and around 30% of students on IEPs. Many of our students previously had limited access to STEM education. Our goal is to give them the skills and curiosity to thrive in 21st-century careers while developing a lifelong love of learning.
Q: How do your values and “L.I.F.E.—Learning Is Fun Everyday!” influence student learning and daily experiences?
Every morning, students respond to “What is LIFE?” with “Learning Is Fun Everyday!” We want students to feel excited to come to school. Learning at Par is not worksheets and lectures; students take ownership of their learning, pursue their interests, and engage in hands-on problem solving tied to real-world challenges.
This approach makes learning relevant, keeps students engaged, and helps them connect with content across subjects. We also want school to be joyful. Many students run in smiling and laughing, ready to engage, which is a sign they feel connected to their learning.
Q: Why did Par Excellence pursue the statewide STEM School Designation, and what did the process involve? What lessons did your team learn along the way?
Our initial goal was not designation but to develop an inclusive STEM program accessible to all students. After years of program growth, our leadership team attended Ohio STEM Learning Network training, and last year, with board approval, we formally pursued designation.
The process required gathering evidence, much of which we already had from sharing our progress with families and the community. It helped us reflect, strengthen partnerships, and identify areas for growth. We didn’t pursue designation just to meet criteria; we used it as a framework to ensure we were building the strongest possible program for our students.
Q: What do you consider your school’s “superpower” in STEM education, and what could other schools learn from your successes?
One of my favorite parts of our STEM education program is that it began in the self-contained special education classroom to increase student engagement, decrease behavior issues, and ensure that every student in that classroom could work to their highest potential. The program was designed to be inclusive of all ability levels, and we saw a lot of success with those students. Their behavior incidents decreased, their attendance increased, and we saw a significant rise in their state test scores. Students who, on paper, “should not have” achieved those academic successes exceeded all expectations and accessed the general curriculum. But they were engaged, excited to learn, and for the first time in their educational process, they truly felt confident that they could be successful at school.
After several years of the program existing in the self-contained classroom, the rest of the school began to see those students excited about coding, robotics, and learning in general. Other students began to become curious about the things that the students in that classroom were learning. And with their successes, the leadership team at Par wanted to see if the program was something that could be rolled out school wide. Within a year, every student in the building began their STEM learning journeys.
The program continues to have a goal of being fully inclusive of every student in the building. We use Universal Design for Learning in every aspect and continue to adjust our programming to meet the needs of our student population. Every student, when they walk through our doors, has the opportunity to be fully engaged in every part of STEM learning that we offer. The highly inclusive nature of our program is something that we are very proud of.
Q: Par Excellence uses a design-thinking model to support hands-on learning and real-world problem solving. How does this process work in classrooms?
We integrate design thinking across academics, social-emotional learning, and community problem-solving. Students learn that failure is an opportunity to improve, and constructive feedback is a tool for growth. This mindset encourages curiosity, perseverance, and problem-solving. Even in literacy programs, students apply design thinking to comprehension and deeper learning.
Q: How does STEM education support learning and growth for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and why is early engagement important?
Engagement drives learning. When students are excited about what they are doing, they attend, participate, and persevere. We start STEM on day one in kindergarten, giving even our youngest students access to coding, robotics, and real-world problem solving. Early engagement helps students see themselves as part of the school and community, fostering ownership and a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.
Q: STEM thrives when the whole community is involved. How have students, teachers, families, alumni, and partners contributed to Par Excellence’s STEM programs?
Par STEM maintains an extensive network of partners. As a community school, we serve students from all of Licking County. Our families are incredibly involved with our school, and we have been well-supported by our community partners. Our families and partners work with us to develop programming and support our students. Our local universities and colleges partner with us to not only provide tutoring, but to assist with projects andnd the mentor our students. Our community partners allow us to visit them on field trips, they visit us for presentations, they support our STEM efforts through outreach to the community and our families, and they serve as subject matter experts for our students. Our Board of Directors serves as part of our STEM Advisory Board and has been very supportive of our efforts to move from traditional schooling to STEM and problem-based learning.
We love that our community is so active and supporting usus, and we feel that it truly makes our students feel like they belong and can make a difference in our community.
Q: How has achieving STEM designation impacted your school, and what are your next goals for STEM at Par Excellence?
STEM designation has been an honor and motivates us to continue innovating. As Licking County’s first STEM-designated school, we provide high-quality STEM opportunities for students who might otherwise lack access.
Next, we aim to expand into STEAM programming, incorporating dance, music, and art. We also want to promote STEM’s importance in the community and ensure every student continues to receive inclusive, hands-on learning that prepares them for any future career.
Q: What advice would you give to other educators interested in implementing a STEM-based curriculum or pursuing the state’s STEM School Designation?
When developing a STEM-based curriculum, start with assessing the needs of all students. When you are creating a program from the ground up, you have a wonderful opportunity to make sure every child in the building has access to that programming and can thrive. If you have high expectations for all students, they will achieve those expectations and likely exceed them. Remember that every student has a mathematician and a scientist in them, and you never know which mind will develop the next great innovation.
Use all of the experts around you. Use your community partners, local universities, your families, the Ohio STEM Learning Network, and the experts within your own building. Intervention specialists, Title specialists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, ESL specialists, and others can give you the tools you need to develop a program that truly serves the needs of every child.
Don’t be afraid of failure, because remember that failure is an opportunity to grow. You will use the design thinking process in developing a program that meets the needs of your students. We certainly didn’t get it 100% right on the first try, and it took years to continue to improve and grow our program to meet the needs of our community and our students. We continue to develop, test, and revise our programming every day as the needs of our community and our students change.
Use your students. They are the future of our workforce and communities, and in involving them in determining the types of offerings you have in your programming will give your students a sense of ownership in their education and in their school community. Leverage the expertise of those already in the field. They know the technical skills and the soft skills needed in their industries, and they are often more than happy to help you develop a program that meets the needs of the industries in the community and of the future industries that will be created.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about Par Excellence Academy or your STEM designation?
We are so honored to continue to working with the Ohio STEM Learning Network, ODEW the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and our community to develop inclusive and innovative programming for our students. It is our goal to provide access to a high-quality STEM education to every student, regardless of their circumstances. We look forward to seeing how far our students will rise.
The post Par Excellence STEM Academy: Inclusive STEM Learning That Smashes Barriers appeared first on Ohio STEM Learning Network.
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