Northshore School District’s Secondary Academy for Success (SAS) is one of five schools and one school district statewide named a Lighthouse school by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). SAS will receive a $20,000 grant to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and serve as a mentor to other middle and high schools that are creating STEM environments.

Randy Dorn, state superintendent, will present representatives from SAS and the Career and College Readiness program with the STEM Lighthouse award at the Feb. 14 school-board meeting.

The 2012 Lighthouse recipients are Eastmont Junior High School, Eastmont School District; Secondary Academy for Success, Northshore; Science and Math Institute, Tacoma; Stewart Middle School, Tacoma; Toppenish High School, Toppenish; and Odessa School District.

“It is quite an honor for SAS to be selected as a Lighthouse school within its first three years of the program,” said Superintendent Larry Francois in a press release.

SAS will spend the grant money to implement a robotics program for the 2012–13 school year, complete a mobile sustainable engineering and design lab that can be taken to other schools as a learning tool, purchase additional STEM supplies and install professional signage to showcase sustainable features of the campus.

“At SAS, we emphasize science and math through these innovative programs and are continuously learning about sustainable environments,” said Vicki Puckett, SAS principal. “Students also have an opportunity to meet with community partners and work with industry on various projects such as building sustainable environments through organic farming.” SAS partners with various community businesses including 21 Acres, Brightwater, McKinstry, Microsoft, Snohomish PUD and NSD Support Services and Food Services departments.

Lighthouse schools “serve as resources and examples of how to combine the following best practices”:

* Small, highly personalized learning communities;

* An interdisciplinary curriculum with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, delivered through a project-based instructional approach; and

* Active partnerships with business and local community to connect learning beyond the classroom.

“Northshore is taking bold steps to prepare our students to be career and college ready and helping our nation meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development, student achievement and global competitiveness,” said Damen Schuneman, Career and College Readiness director. “With an emphasis on real-world, real-life skills, the Career and College Readiness program connects students to rigorous academics and meaningful training that will help them be successful in the future.”