Giving gifted students a challenge
Kalispell Public Schools are leading the way in working to meet the growing demand for workers in engineering and technology trades, developing STEM programs in three local schools.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and it’s on the cutting edge of academic excellence as the United States works to remain competitive in the 21st century.
To help students develop their skills for technology and engineering jobs, Kalispell has put together programs in both local high schools and the middle school.
Glacier High School is leading the way with its Engineering Academy. At a recent open house, parents and students with an interest in the program filled a large room. The program started this year and will expand into a full four-year program starting next year.
Flathead High School is not far behind, offering a Biomedical Science program starting next year, aiming to serve a local sector of the economy that is primed to keep growing for years to come.
In addition, the Kalispell Middle School introduces its Gateway to Technology program in the fall, with offerings in robotics, design and modeling.
Other local schools are also exploring their options, and we fully support all efforts to train our community’s young minds to take advantage of the many opportunities they have in science, engineering and math.
That doesn’t mean that anyone should undervalue the importance of the many other components of a solid high school education, of course. That includes foreign language training, history, literature, composition, and of course the arts.
Kalispell Public Schools are taking an aggressive approach to encourage students who are gifted in music, theater and visual arts to approach their training which an equal rigor as STEM students. That’s why the district has also introduced a Fine Arts Academy as part of the curriculum at Glacier High School. Look for these challenging approaches to spread in coming years as alumni share their success stories from college and beyond.