Midvale Named First Dual IB/STEM-Certified Elementary School in the State of Georgia.

Midvale Elementary has the honor of being the first elementary school in the state of Georgia to receive dual certification for their IB and STEM programs. This is an extraordinary achievement for Midvale students, parents, and faculty. According to Principal Debbie Satterfield, “this designation acknowledges that our school has successfully integrated the critical aspects of the IB Learner Profile into the STEM practices requiring problem-based learning that focuses on real-world applications. In IB, students are expected to use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take action on complex problems.”

IB PYP, which stands for International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, is a platform that specifically focuses on a child’s learning through active inquiry. Furthermore, the program provides a set of organizing themes to help schools incorporate state and district standards into systems of knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and actions that focus on the needs of the child.

The acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Instead of teaching the four subjects separately, STEM incorporates each one into a learning system that is based on real-world standards. The main purpose of STEM is to use innovative techniques in the classroom that are fueled by problem solving, discovery, and exploratory learning requiring students to engage in a situation actively to find its solution.

“The learning environment at Midvale allows students to work independently and collaboratively to develop self-efficacy as problem solvers,” Principal Satterfield added. “We are very proud of this accomplishment and will continue to prepare for the next level of IB/STEM learning.”