The document proposes expanding Charlotte Latin School's Gathering STEAM initiative to cultivate future leaders. The initiative aims to have students apply skills from various disciplines like science, math, English to solve real-world problems through project-based learning. Students will develop skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and global citizenship. The proposal outlines a multidisciplinary approach integrating 21st century skills. It identifies subject areas involved, possible curriculum themes, program changes, and funding needs including upgrading the maker space and teacher training. The goal is to nurture student leadership by providing opportunities to identify, research, prototype, communicate, and market solutions to problems.

1.
1
Gathering STEAM to Cultivate the Leaders of Tomorrow
Expansion of STEAM Initiative/Fab Lab/Entrepreneurship and Global Marketplace
Leadership
Rationale: Schools today are preparing students for a world we cannot yet imagine.
Jobs that exist today will likely appear radically different over the next decade. As
industry and technology advance and certain skilled trades become more automated,
those who thrive will be the ones who have abilities that no machine can reproduce. As
Daniel Pink notes in A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future, the
shift from the information age to the conceptual age will require leaders to exercise
creativity when thinking critically about how to solve problems. Those leaders will need
to be collaborators who are not afraid to make mistakes in an effort to uncover the most
remarkable solutions. They will also need to practice empathy by “get into the shoes”
not only of those in their immediate vicinity but also of those across the globe. Such
connections require sensitivity to differences and the ability to see oneself as a citizen of
the world whose contributions have the possibility of reaching those far and wide.
Our Gathering STEAM Program aims to do just that. Students will engage in critical
thinking by solving problems in a number of contexts using skills learned from various
disciplines. Most directly, areas related to technology – engineering and computer
science – provide the opportunities to develop the concepts of design thinking.
However, cross-curricular integration is a key component in developing strong leaders.
Rather than applying skills learned in discrete classes, a sort of “silo-type”
demonstration of mastery, students will use math and science to solve an engineering
problem. They will then use skills learned in English classes to communicate (in writing
and speech) their findings and solutions. Some problems will require research skills,
much like those applied in history, in order to determine what solutions may or may not
have worked in prior circumstances. Lastly, as part of the Fab Lab network, students will
practice global citizenship as they share ideas and seek information from colleagues
throughout the world.
Ultimately, Charlotte Latin School’s goal is to nurture the leaders of tomorrow by
providing them the opportunities to identify problems in the world around them, engage
in research, collaborate with others to prototype solutions, communicate findings to
stakeholders, and bring their ideas to market. All of the foundations of a liberal arts
education are applied in a way that enables students to see how their work is
meaningful and can change the world.
Broad Goal:
To enable students to apply liberal arts in practical ways to solve problems in the world
around us

2.
2
Multidisciplinary Approach:
Students will draw on skills acquired in all subjects (writing, mathematical computation,
scientific research/process, international communication, cultural awareness)
Project-Based Learning:
Courses in the program will utilize project-based learning methodology to engage
students in problem-solving techniques and strategies that require the application of
skills and knowledge from a wide range of subjects taught in the liberal arts curriculum.
Additionally, students will be expected to consider the “human impact” of the solutions
they develop. In other words, what are the moral and ethical considerations involved in
the proposed solution(s) to the identified problems.
Subject Areas Involved:
• Science – scientific method, research/experiment considerations and parameters
• Math – application of principles and formulas to make estimates
• English – writing and communication
• History – research fundamentals and historical trends
• World Languages – communicating across cultures
• Technology –means and processes are required to produce solution(s)
• Arts – creative processes used to conceptualize possible solution(s)
Curriculum:
The STEAM program will intersect with courses in the regular curriculum through a
thematic approach. Such a collaborative effort will require time for common planning.
As a starting point, here are some possible themes for our STEAM program:
• Power & Energy
• Elements & Processes
• Life & Movement
• Transportation
• Communication
• Music
• Inventions
Program Overview:
- Changes in Engineering
- Changes in Computer Science
- Integration of 21st
Century Skills
- Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership (Entrepreneurship course)

3.
3
Needs:
Item Funding Needed
Fab Lab (upgrade from current Maker Space) $143,000.00
($45,000 from
capital budget;
hoping for another
$8,000 from
Parents’ Council =
$90,000)
Fab Lab Academy - MIT Training for Teachers – CLS
becomes a certified Fab Lab, part of a world-wide network of
schools (high schools, colleges, and universities) that work
collaboratively to develop solutions to real-world problems
Teachers interested:
Tom Dubick – Science & Engineering
David Taylor - Science & Engineering
Brian Sossamon – Technology
Ian Brauner – Life Sciences
Richard Fletcher – Visual Arts
Andy Tucker – Technology & English
$30,000 ($5000 per
participant)
Entrepreneurship Initiative Funding – as a capstone
experience the winning projects (as determined by a
panel of alumni and community business leaders) will
be given funding to bring product/service to market
(see Entrepreneurship and Global Marketplace
Leadership course description for more details)
$5000
Total $178,000
Mistakes are a part of the road to success — little failures lead to great successes.
- Author Unknown