Once again MVUSD sent some of its finest students to show educators from throughout the state what we are accomplishing. Seven students were showcased at this year’s California STEAM Symposium which was held in Long Beach October 28 and 29.
Junior, Roman Lara, represented Valley View’s winning four member team which sent a soybean germination experiment up to the International Space Station this past summer. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program [or SSEP] is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC, which are working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.
The Palm Middle School to Valley View High School STEAM pathway was demonstrated by computer programmers spanning the breadth of the program. Seventh graders Noor Abdelwahab and Kevin Slack and eighth graders Maddison Chau and Malinda Jin showed a variety of the technical skills they are honing at Palm. Freshman Amory (Amy) Martin and Junior Jazmine Anderson rounded out the contingent as Valley View’s cohort.
Not only did the students show symposium attendees a sample of the amazing successes happening in Moreno Valley, they also answered questions posed by teachers, administrators and even State Superintendent Tom Torlakson.
To show that 21st century skills come naturally, students were teaching each other and collaborating on one another’s programs without any regard to the age and experience differences among them. Their enjoyment for programming was evidenced by Noor Abdelwahab on the bus ride home when she exclaimed, “I can’t wait until next year!”
“We are very proud anytime our students are able to demonstrate their skills to other students and educators,” said Board President Susan Smith. “The students at the California STEAM Symposium exemplify our commitment to a 21st century education.”