Parents who are searching for Christian schools are hit with a real concern: should they opt for a school that teaches STEM subjects alongside religion? The answer is yes because it provides students with a foundation based on morals, Biblical teachings, and science.
But why is STEM important, and how do schools offer a seamless curriculum that incorporates both fields? Parents will be able to find the answers below.
Importance of STEM for Students
The United States Department of Education is championing STEM for students. This comes from an understanding that STEM is the future; most occupations in the field are expected to grow at 16 percent or higher through 2020, which is higher than the average job growth rate of 14 percent.
The STEM industry will continue to grow and all students must understand the field in order to move forward in life. That’s why finding a school that offers these programs is critical to the success of students.
Christianity and STEM
There are currently over 2.3 billion Christians in the world, as reported by the Pew Research Center, making it the world’s largest religion. However, few people believe that Christianity has made room for STEM.
This is inaccurate. Christianity has long linked STEM and religion, as evidenced by a paper released by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It discusses the history of religion and science, indicating that several Christian academics and historians have played key roles in bridging the gap between the seemingly disparate fields.
For parents who are wondering, “what Christian schools near me teach STEM,” the results will be surprising: a number of these schools have been providing STEM education for over a decade. This is in direct contrast to those who feel that religious schools have abandoned science.
Exploratory Programs and Early Education
Christian schools are well-equipped to offer STEM courses; in fact, an abstract found through the Association of Christian Schools International demonstrates this point. In the paper, it is revealed that many Christian teachers are finding ways to integrate STEM into early childhood education.
For example, several Christian schools, including this one, are beginning to utilize STEM at the pre-K stage with exploratory programs. These programs operate on experiential learning, or the “learn through play,” model. Some of the STEM courses are taught on a weekly basis while others are done in the form of fun field trips.
In early childhood, when a student enters elementary school, STEM takes on a collaborative role with the Bible. By using the text, teachers educate their students on how religion and STEM go hand-in-hand.
STEM and Christianity are not incompatible; in fact, teaching students these fields through a religious context will embolden them to become ethical professionals later on in life. Parents who ask, “what Christian schools near me will help my child become successful” will no doubt want to find a school that offers STEM right alongside Biblical studies.
Source
https://blog.acsi.org/dis2ecting-stem-christian-schools
https://www.acsi.org/resources/cse/cse-magazine/stemthrough-the-lens-of-early-childhood-education-182
https://www.mtparanschool.com/page/academics/stemsteam
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/religion-science/#FutuDireScieReli
https://www.ed.gov/stem
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/
