Evoline C. West Elementary has received Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) recertification from the Georgia Department of Education, according to a March 30 announcement. The school was the first elementary school in Georgia to earn this distinction in 2018.
The recertification highlights the school’s ongoing commitment to providing students with real-world learning experiences that integrate multiple disciplines. These efforts are seen as important for preparing students for future careers and encouraging them to make positive contributions to their communities.
One example of STEM practices at Evoline C. West is a fifth grade project focused on power outages and natural disasters affecting their community. Students collected data, researched relevant careers, designed emergency kits, calculated costs per person, created infographics for family preparedness, and assembled model kits intended for fundraising efforts supporting families in need.
Principal Jill Meeker said, “This work requires high-level math, science, and writing skills, and is an opportunity for innovation and real‑world problem‑solving. A social element of PBL is not required, but it helps students build community and empathy.”
The state’s certification process involves documentation showing that STEM practices are consistent throughout the school as well as a walk-through by content directors who observe whether students can apply what they have learned. Certified schools must show interdisciplinary instruction through project-based learning (PBL), connections with community partners on projects that offer career exploration opportunities, mentoring programs, and exposure to experts in various STEM fields.
At Evoline C. West Elementary School these initiatives are led by an interdisciplinary team called MIST—comprising media specialists, instructional technology staff members, STEM leadership personnel and teachers—using a rubric of 25 parameters such as critical thinking and student-led discovery along with guidance from a STEM Process Wheel.
Fulton County Schools STEM Coordinator Nicole Ford said certified STEM schools outperform similar non-certified schools by an average of 12 percent on state assessments over three years: “Certified STEM schools outperform similar non-certified schools by an average of 12 % on state assessments over a three-year period.”
While recertification typically occurs every five years pandemic-related challenges delayed this cycle; however Evoline C. West remained committed throughout the process achieving its renewed certification in 2026.
