About STEM Marin
Science Technology Engineering Math
STEM Marin (SM) and this website represent the collective wisdom and creativity of middle school students in after school STEM programs in San Rafael California. The program has been in existence since 2017 with the objective of facilitating cross discipline solutions to complex, real world problems.
The Virus pandemic and school closures brought our classes to to an abrupt halt in the spring. Several projects you see here will be completed by future STEM classes.
Project Based Learning
Projects at SM use a standard development life cycle consisting of five basic steps common to engineering, technology development, and the scientific method. Student teams choose their own projects with the only guideline that they address real world problems and issues. Using the fundamentals of project management, in an unthreatening environment that is open to new ideas and accepts mistakes, has yielded some amazing results.
Rewarding Achievement
There are no academic grades at SM and participation is voluntary. Students choose projects they feel passionately about and the results are the reward for their creativity and commitment. SM embodies a fresh approach to learning that emphasizes "doing" and practical application to achieve long term knowledge acquisition. SM students also enter their projects in the Marin County Fair and have received multiple ribbons and awards.