Jackson Christian Elementary receives STEM designation

JACKSON, Tenn. — A local school has received a special designation by the Tennessee Department of Education.

“We were just awarded one of 15 schools that has just received STEM certification for the state of Tennessee,” said Jenna Melton, Elementary STREAM director at Jackson Christian Elementary.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Jackson Christian Elementary wanted to get the designation to show they are one of the leaders in elementary STEM education.

“At Jackson Christian, it’s a way that we work to create cross-curricular activities for our students, where we work on things like collaboration and problem solving,” Melton said.

The school also puts a twist on the public school STEM label, adding an “R” for religion and an “A” for arts. They also utilize their STREAM lab, a room where students can come to work through different scenarios given to them by their teachers.

Students can come into the STREAM lab with a problem presented to them by their teachers, gather the supplies they need and then create something to solve the problem. They then can improve on it and present it to the class.

But it’s not just the STREAM lab where they learn to connect what they’re doing in the classroom to the real world. Kindergartners are learning about the life cycle of chicks, from the egg to hatching and even getting to take one home for a night.

“I always want to be looking ahead to be the best school that we can be, so that we can serve our communities, our children and our families,” said Linda Bradford, director of the elementary school.

Jackson Christian is one of the first 15 schools to receive the STEM certification.