Mason Elementary and Peachtree Ridge High Named a STEM Education Awards Finalist

From a press release

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the state’s leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia’s technology industry, today announced that Mason Elementary School and Peachtree Ridge High School have been named as a Finalist in the “Best STEM Day Activity” category for the 2014 STEM Education Awards.

The Technology Association of Georgia’s 3rd STEM Education Awards recognizes schools, programs, and companies for outstanding efforts and achievements in supporting and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education in Georgia.

GA STEM Day provided a platform for high school students to interact and inspire an entire elementary school. Every Mason student was immersed in STEM learning experiences all day with students from Peachtree Ridge High School. Students critically and creatively sought and shared solutions throughout the day in a high energy, festival environment. Elementary and high school students saw the same processes through a variety of lenses as they all looked toward possible future careers on GA STEM Day.

Dr. Jeff Mathews, principal at Peachtree Ridge High School, was excited that “GA STEM Day served the Peachtree Ridge cluster as another opportunity to utilize STEM to blur the lines between content areas and leverage vertical collaboration between grade levels as the cluster continues to increase relevance and rigor for all students.”

“It is exciting to see the progress we are making with STEM education in Georgia. The increase in nominations each year and the quality of the nominations made it difficult for our judges,” said Michael Robertson, Executive Director of TAG Education Collaborative. “Congratulations to the Finalists! Your work engaging these students in STEM will benefit the students you touch for years to come with challenging and exciting careers.”

This year’s Finalists were chosen in 8 different categories:

· Elementary School

· Middle School

· High School

· Post Secondary Outreach

· Extracurricular Program

· STEM Certified School Outreach

· Corporate Outreach

· Best STEM Day Activity

Winners in each category will be officially honored at The 3rd Annual STEM Education Awards event held on September 26th at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia. The event is presented by TAG, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed), a non-profit 501c3 dedicated to advancing STEM education in Georgia, and TAG Savannah.

“STEM occupations will increase in Georgia by more than 22,000 during the current decade,” said Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. “The finalists of this year’s STEM Education Awards are helping to prepare the tech-ready workforce needed to fill these jobs and we applaud them for standing out as leaders in Georgia’s educational community.”

For more information about TAG and the 3rd Annual STEM Education Awards or to attend the event, visit http://bit.ly/STEMinfo2014

About Mason Elementary School and Peachtree Ridge High School

Peachtree Ridge Lions Learning, a K-12 Approach on GA STEM Day: The Peachtree Ridge Community has dedicated its efforts and resources throughout the year to advance STEM education for all students. As part of the Peachtree Ridge clusterwide STEM initiative, 37 Peachtree Ridge High School students and nine teachers spent STEM Day at Mason Elementary School interacting and learning with the elementary students and faculty. Plans are already in place to expand this opportunity across all the schools in the Peachtree Ridge cluster next year.

About TAG Education Collaborative

TAG Education Collaborative is dedicated to developing science, technology, engineering and math initiatives in Georgia. Through partnerships with statewide STEM programs, TAG-Ed fosters student interest in STEM in order to increase appreciation for the opportunities available through technology careers. TAG-Ed hosts an internship program for high school students, two web-based team challenges for students interested in Health IT and web design, and the Vine Event, an annual fundraiser benefiting STEM education. For additional information, visit TAG Education Collaborative or contact Michael Robertson at (404) 920 –2038 or mrobertson@tagonline.org.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 24,500 members and hosting over 200 events each year via 6 chapters across the state including Metro Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Columbus, Macon/Middle Georgia and Savannah . TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 34 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com.