By Kyle Coppola
School Board Recognizes Steam and Stem Schools
TAVARES – The Lake County School Board this week recognized schools that have met requirements to be distinguished as STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Schools based on activities from 2023-24.
To qualify, elementary schools must have a STEAM collaborative team that implements problem-based learning experiences integrating science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics at all grade levels. All students must participate in at least four grade-level STeAM lessons throughout the year. They must have a STEAM Bowl team for grades 305 that practices from October through March and competes in the STEAM Bowl in the spring, and they must have full school participation in the school and district Science and Engineering Fair along with a school-based STEAM night.
Middle and high school requirements include participation in the Math Olympics at Lake-Sumter State College. Middle schools can do Math Counts or STEAM Bowl. They are also required to have a school Science and Engineering Fair with students advancing to compete at the regional level. A STEAM family night, with displays, presentations and hands-on activities aligned to state standards, is required as well.
Schools that earn Gold status have achieved all of these requirements. Those with Silver status have achieved most, and are working toward Gold.
Congratulations to the following schools for their accomplishments:
ELEMENTARY
Gold STEAM
- Astatula
- Eustis
- Eustis Heights
- Fruitland Park
- Grassy Lake
- Lost Lake
- Pine Ridge
- Rimes Early Learning
- Seminole Springs
- Sorrento
- Tavares
- Triangle
- Umatilla
K-8 Gold STEAM
- Imagine Charter
- Spring Creek Charter
Silver STEAM
- Beverly Shores
Silver STEM
- Treadway
MIDDLE
Gold STEAM
- East Ridge
- Eustis
- Cecil E. Gray
- Tavares
- Windy Hill
HIGH
Gold STEAM
- East Ridge
- South Lake
Photo Credit – Lake County Schools
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
