CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT’S
MC2STEM HIGH SCHOOL COMING TO GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER FOR FRESHMAN CLASS

August 19th, 2009

CLEVELAND (August 19, 2009) - Great Lakes Science Center will be home to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) MC2STEM High School freshman class for the next two years. The STEM school (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), resulting from a public-private partnership, is the first of its kind in Ohio as enabled by House Bill 119, which authorizes financial support and partnerships critical to the development of STEM education.

“This innovative partnership with Great Lakes Science Center will provide students with a dynamic, real world learning environment rooted in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Dr. Eugene Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

“Our vision is to create opportunities and choices that will significantly impact teaching and learning; ones where students will be challenged with a rigorous curriculum. Through this collaboration, GLSC has helped CMSD move one step closer to realizing that vision,” continued Sanders. “I am excited about the experience that our students will have and I look forward to a continued partnership with GLSC, and other organizations like it, that value educational choice.”

“Great Lakes Science Center is a strong provider of informal STEM education for Northeast Ohio and beyond,” said Linda Abraham-Silver, president and CEO of the Science Center. “We are pleased to be one of only a few science centers in the country to host a STEM high school.”

“STEM students will become well acquainted with the Science Center during their time here,” she continued, “maximizing the potential for students to return as volunteers or staff to interpret science during demonstrations and camp programs, which will facilitate the spread of scientific knowledge,” Abraham-Silver said. “This is an extension of our mission to support STEM workforce development.”

Approximately 100 students will be engaged by a dynamic, rigorous curriculum expanded by the Science Center’s resources and a project-based learning environment. This program helps students become innovators, logical thinkers and strong communicators, developing their ability to make sense of the world around them by applying STEM-related concepts and ideas across all disciplines, including the Arts and Humanities.

Teachers will work with students in small groups, challenging and supporting them as they are exposed to the kinds of design and implementation practices scientists and engineers use. Students will strive to achieve mastery of each level of work, meaning they will be able to articulate in multiple ways that they are confident and qualified to move on. Teachers assess student progress and provide feedback utilizing rubrics based on STEM core principles as students demonstrate their learning through portfolios, exhibitions, experimentation and performances.

The ultimate goal is to prepare students for a seamless transition to college or to enter a career in a STEM related field, which is key to the well-being of this community. According to Abraham-Silver, “Deeper and more immersive STEM education will play a pivotal role in driving the region’s economy forward.”

As such, students will attend school year-round, based on a calendar that models the STEM work world: students work for 10 weeks, have a three-week break and then repeat that pattern for four 10-week terms throughout the year.

Classrooms will be located on the Science Center’s ground-level, overlooking North Coast Harbor. They will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, soft seating areas and more to optimize the learning experience. Once the school opens, the floor will also be open to Science Center guests to view classrooms and student projects.

This significant renovation was made possible by funding provided by the capital campaign for the school being managed by the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Economic Growth Foundation. The contributors to that fund include The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, Key Foundation, The Sherwick Fund, Parker Hannifin Foundation, Forest City Enterprises Charitable Foundation and Eaton Charitable Fund.

About the MC2 STEM High School
The MC2 STEM High School is a project-based school embedded in the STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – community focused on creating an environment where students are passionate about issues of sustainability and capable of leading in the 21st century. It is a member of a unique public-private partnership between The Cleveland Metropolitan School District, K-12 school districts, colleges and universities, corporations & industry partners, and a host of Cleveland’s premiere cultural, public, and philanthropic institutions working to create innovative teaching and learning opportunities for all students across the region, and impact the workforce’s retooled and emerging industries.

About the Great Lakes Science Center
The Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers, featuring hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with discounted parking available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. The Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at (216) 694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

About the Cleveland Metropolitan School District
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves a diverse student body of approximately 50,000 students. Under the visionary leadership of Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eugene T.W. Sanders, the District is striving to become a premier school district in the United States of America. It envisions 21st Century Schools of Choice where students will be challenged with a rigorous curriculum that considers the individual learning styles, program preferences and academic capabilities of each student, while utilizing the highest quality professional educators, administrators and support staff available.

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