Looking for STEM Enrichment and Locating the Best Possible Programs
Introduction
Daniel* had always liked math and computers. Once he realized that chemistry and physics were inextricably intertwined with math, he decided he liked those subjects too! Daniel went to computer camp last summer, and he couldn’t have been happier. It was there that he first started studying computer languages, and he was hooked. Since his family had previously lived in Spain and Germany, he had experienced language acquisition strategies at a young age, and it’s possible this is what helped him learn computer languages so quickly.
His parents had moved into the area with the intention of sending him to the best possible public school. In fact, they bought a house in the neighborhood next to the public schools that had the best reputation for providing academic rigor and college prep courses. However, it was not long before they noticed that the school did not offer enough accelerated curriculum to keep Daniel motivated and inspired. Daniel was bored. He completed his homework in the classroom every day because it was so easy. He rarely ever had homework to do at home. The school had a robotics team, but for some reason Daniel wouldn’t be allowed to join the team until he was in 8th grade. Daniel got 100% on all his math tests, and reported that his tests only took him 10 minutes to complete, meanwhile he would have to sit and wait for everyone else to finish in the hour and 15 minutes they were allotted in the class period. Daniel’s school had a winning football team, and their soccer team usually went to finals every year, too. However, Daniel wasn’t the least bit interested in outdoor sports. He preferred to play billiards with his Dad or compete in video game tournaments with his friends back in Europe. His lack of interest in his schoolwork eventually led him to play video games more and more. By the end of seventh grade, video games consumed his time. It turned out, the video games were the only things challenging him.
Daniel’s parents Pamela* and Robin* were exasperated. They were surprised that the best public school in their district was not challenging their son’s intellect or interests. They talked with administrators to see if he could take his math classes at the high school next door to his middle school. The administrators informed Pamela and Robin that this was not allowed. Both parents worked full time, but Pamela was thinking about taking a sabbatical from work to homeschool Daniel and provide the challenging coursework that would keep him inspired. Ultimately, Pamela and Robin decided against that idea because they wanted Daniel to experience the healthy social development that a group learning environment could provide. Ultimately, they wanted Daniel to thrive in a community of people who would embrace their son’s interests and talents. They decided to consider sending Daniel to a private school. For them, they decided that the cost of a private school was worth their son’s academic advancement and social development. Pamela and Robin reached out to me to help them sort through their options.
*(names have been changed for confidentiality purposes)
Methodology
First of all, we evaluated Daniel’s needs and prioritized them. First and foremost, Daniel needed accelerated math, science, and computer curriculum. After assessing his proficiencies, it was clear to me that he was ahead of his current math class by about three years. No wonder he was bored! Daniel needed high school level math courses in seventh grade! Second of all, Daniel needed a school that would provide accessible extracurricular activities in his areas of interest. Forget the conventional outdoor athletics that most schools offered. Daniel was already building his own computers, and he also rebuilt the engine inside his Dad’s golf cart in two days. Daniel needed options in the areas of robotics, engineering, physics, math, and computer coding. Third of all, it was clear to Pamela and Robin that Daniel would likely want to attend a competitive college or university. Daniel’s parents wanted to find a private school whose students matriculated into the country’s most advanced research universities.
Solution
Fortunately for Pamela and Robin, they lived in a suburb of a large metropolitan area, so there were plenty of private schools within 20-30 minutes of their residence. Daniel’s dad even offered to shift his workday a little later so that he could drive Daniel to his new school. While that ultimately proved to be unnecessary, it underlined just how much Daniel’s parents cared about sending their son to the school that was best for him.
After sorting through all their local options for private schools, I organized the list of schools in order of academic rigor, from highest to lowest. After presenting the schools to Pamela and Robin, they agreed that most of the schools had options that would satisfy Daniel’s needs. I presented Daniel’s options to him, and immediately there was a school that caught his eye. It sounded great: the school had a robotics team that won second place in a national competition, and they held overnight math summer camps in the mountains. After going over his options, Daniel visited all the schools on his list. Surprisingly, the school that initially caught his eye did not appeal to him very much when he visited the school in person. Instead, there were two other schools that he liked immediately. These schools had friendly students who all said hi to Daniel in the hallways. The assistant principal at one school even assured Daniel that he could take any math class he tested into, regardless of his age.
Results
After reviewing Daniel’s options and going to visit the schools, Daniel decided on two schools that he liked the most and began the application process. He took a standardized test for each school, and he didn’t miss a single question. This concerned Daniel—we had to assure him that the schools would offer curriculum more challenging than the test he took. Daniel was offered admission to both of his school choices, and now he had to make the final decision. In the end, he chose the school that had an E-sports team. This would allow him to bond with his classmates over his love for video games. The school he ultimately chose also had an Engineering club and a Computer Science team that worked on designing Apps for smart devices. Daniel said he had ideas for so many different apps that the world needed. Daniel’s parents and I were thrilled to finally see Daniel so excited about school.
