Larsen visits STEM programs at Post Middle School

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen stopped by Post Middle School classrooms in Arlington on Jan. 17 to see some of the STEM programs being implemented by teachers there.

The school joins many others in working to increase the workforce ready to go into STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

“The biggest issue is that we’re trying to fulfill a need in career and technical education,” said Brian Long, director of college and career readiness.

Larsen stopped by two different classrooms to see STEM projects and students involved in robotics competitions at the school.

“This classroom is the STEM elective classroom,” said teacher Kathy Nichols, who shares a group of students with two other teachers as part of a three-period STEM elective.

On Jan. 17 those students were preparing cars made out of K’Nex meant to haul material along an uneven and bumpy terrain without spilling over.

“Most Fridays we do STEM challenges and we’ll all be in here together,” said Nichols.

She said students enjoyed the hands-on nature of the classroom, as well as the ability to problem solve.

“And they can be creative,” said Nichols. “If you walk around and look at all the different cars there’s not going to be two that are the same, and yet they’re all successful. In a lot of classrooms there’s only going to be one right answer."

This year students in the middle school also got to compete in robotics competitions.

Larsen visited some of those students and saw the robots being built by middle schoolers and the robots from current high school students and their competitions.

“I’m excited about what Arlington is doing with their STEM program because they’re going to recruit kids in first grade and second grade in the elementary schools to get them interested in robotics and coding,” Larsen said.

The school district hopes to get kids interested in technology early and have them maintain that desire.

“We’re doing really great at getting kids in the middle school level incorporated, but we see that fall off at the high school level,” said Long.

Although the district has invested more this year at the high school level for STEM.

“We’ve allocated about $90,000 to improve some of the rooms in the high school,” said Long, “to really entice those kids to come in and make our programs career ready.”

Larsen said that schools should be investing in STEM to prepare today’s youth for the economy they will live in.

“It’s a global economy and our kids aren’t just competing with kids down the street, but all around the world for the next generation of jobs,” he said.

Many schools are attempting to put in more career education.

“That’s the kind of thing we need to be thinking about with all of our schools, and a lot of schools in our area are doing that,” said Larsen.

Although Larsen added he doesn’t want local schools to become solely focused on STEM.

“I think what we do differently is that also ensure that humanities is part of the education, music is part of the education, so that we have a more well-rounded, and therefore more innovative, group of kids graduating,” he said.