NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ASHBURN, VA (July 7, 2023)—The AASA/JASON STEM Certification, a prestigious accolade recognizing exceptional achievements in STEM education, has been awarded to London City Schools (OH). This certification demonstrates a district’s dedication to offering students creative and interactive learning opportunities, preparing them with essential skills for thriving in the 21st century.
London City Schools’ educators, administrators, students, and community members have demonstrated remarkable efforts and commitment, as reflected by their achievement of the prestigious AASA/JASON STEM Certification. Their collective dedication has fostered an inspiring environment that nurtures and empowers the future STEM leaders.
“Our district is thrilled to receive the AASA/JASON Learning STEM Certification this year. Building meaningful STEM learning opportunities has been a district priority for the last eight years. This designation validates the hard work of many in our district and the commitment the district has to continue to link meaningful STEM learning experiences with college and careers.”
Dr. Lou Kramer, Superintendent of London City Schools
In awarding this honor, the JASON credentialing team noted that London City was truly outstanding when it came to developing a culture of STEM throughout the entire school district. Dr. Eleanor Smalley, President and CEO of JASON Learning, also provided feedback regarding the district’s application:
- London City artifacts demonstrated an outstanding innovation, risk-taking, and development environment that integrated STEM entrepreneurship, digital literacy, scientific literacy, and innovation.
- London City’s Student STEM Advisory group is groundbreaking! Getting that student-level feedback directly to the Superintendent is such a fabulous idea. This is something that London City should present to inspire other districts to set up similar student advisory groups.
- We were impressed with the evaluation, self-reflection, and internal discussions designed for continual improvement.
- London City has an outstanding array of STEM offerings for every student in every grade level. The impact and integration of STEM across each school and each classroom as well as the opportunity and expectation that every student will participate, learn, and grow through STEM and scientific thinking and inquiry.
For the past seven years, the district has been enhancing its STEAM programs to offer students personalized learning experiences that foster innovative, technical, and creative thinking. This focus aims to cultivate collaborative skills and enable students to engage in real-world learning experiences through the design process, aligning with the attributes outlined in the district’s Portrait of a Graduate.
The district will retain its certification for three years, after which, it will be required to participate in a re-credentialing process.
For more information about the AASA/JASON STEM Certification, please visit https://jason.org/stem-certification-2/.
Please contact: Matt Sieloff, Vice President of Implementation and Development at JASON Learning at msieloff@jason.org if you are interested in pursuing the STEM Certification.
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About JASON Learning
JASON Learning is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit transforming science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education through real-world STEM curricula, project-based learning experiences for PreK-12 students, and high-quality professional development for teachers. JASON’s mission is to “inspire and educate students everywhere through real science and exploration.” To learn more about JASON, visit https://jason.org/.
JASON Media Contact: Jenna Davis, jdavis@jason.org.
About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
