Colorado STEM Academy in Westminster, Colorado is the first STEM-based education environment available to students in that region. Opened in August 2013, the school currently enrolls students from grades three through six, though it hopes to expand its offerings to grades three through eight by the end of 2015. The school offers a technology-focused, collaboration-oriented learning environment where students work in classes and small groups with STEM-certified faculty as they become exposed to the foundations of the STEM world. The school emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills, and it helps to enable student success through providing them with extensive one-to-one access to technology in the form of tablets and computers and through hands-on learning in their STEM labs. However, this school is not for everyone. Students must pass entrance requirements that ensure that their reading and math skills are at a level that will help to ensure their success. Further, Colorado STEM helps to prepare students for the future by requiring an extended school year so that students have more time in the classroom compared to their non-STEM peers. In addition to all of its STEM offerings, the school also offers after school clubs and extracurricular activities in order to enhance the overall well-roundedness of its students.
