Pathway’s curriculum includes daily experiences in STEM for students with special needs

“STEM for all” is The Pathway School’s unique approach to experiential learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. At most schools, STEM is an honors program. At some special education schools, STEM is offered as an elective. At Pathway, STEM is the core of our curriculum and permeates everything we do. Each day we are creating opportunities in STEM for students with special needs.

What is STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM programs are designed to teach students 21st-century employment skills in an interactive and fun way. The STEM curriculum challenges students to think critically. With our project-based approach to learning, students gain real-world experiences and knowledge for their future.

Our STEM Program

Our approach to providing STEM education opportunities for students ages 5–21 is designed to evolve as students grow and technology continues to change. Students apply the knowledge they gain in their daily coursework to hands-on STEM experiences that build real-world skills. For example, students use math, science, engineering, and technology concepts to measure, construct, and create in our career and technical education classrooms and maker spaces. They design robots, create 3D projects, participate in woodworking, engage in coding activities, and explore problem-solving through hands-on learning experiences.

Students also have opportunities to develop digital media skills through video production, where they can learn filming, editing, production planning, and on-camera communication. Whether working behind the scenes producing content or creating student-made short films, students gain valuable experience in storytelling, communication, technology, and media production. Our eSports lab encourages collaboration, teamwork, and strategic thinking while helping students discover shared interests and potential career pathways. STEM learning extends across all areas of our educational program – both in traditional classrooms and specialized learning environments.

Robotics is a key component of our STEM program, offered both within classroom instruction and through a competitive robotics team. Students gain hands-on experience in building, coding, testing, and refining robotic systems while developing teamwork, engineering, and problem-solving skills. In addition, we are preparing to expand opportunities through the introduction of a Lego League program, which will provide younger students with structured, age-appropriate robotics experiences and a pathway into competitive STEM learning.

Click here to learn about Pathway’s Robotics program.

Innovative STEM Environments

To support our STEM curriculum and provide students with innovative, interactive learning experiences, we developed a state-of-the-art Innovation Center.

The Innovation Center gives students opportunities to engage in design thinking and hands-on learning. It features a maker space for creating and exploring technology, a media center dedicated to video production and digital content creation, an eSports lab for competitive gaming, an engineering and technology workspace, and a classroom dedicated to science instruction.

Students also learn about sustainability through energy-efficient solar panels and gain real-world job skills by operating a student-run café in the culinary arts space. A multi-use dining and presentation area further expands opportunities for collaboration, learning, and community engagement.