Gearity School Earns Official STEM Designation

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Gearity Professional Development School has been selected join the Ohio STEM Learning network. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools are the only district with two officially designated STEM schools in Northeast Ohio.

Gearity joined Boulevard Elementary as the CH-UH Schools' STEM-designated elementary schools. The official Ohio STEM Learning network designation recognizes a school's design as an effective place for STEM learning.

The Ohio STEM Learning network is a public-private partnership managed by Battelle, a nonprofit technology development company. Some 30 applications from schools across Ohio were considered for official STEM designation and only 14 were selected.

"Congratulations to Gearity on earning this important designation,” said CH-UH Interim Superintendent Brian Williams. “I commend principal Katrina Hicks and STEM program specialist Jackie Taylor for their leadership in this process. The staff, students, and Gearity community should be proud of this accomplishment. As a district, we appreciate the importance of having STEM schools to equip our students with an educational background in science and technology.”

The Ohio STEM Committee is composed of policymakers, agency directors and business executives. The committee receives support from the Ohio Department of Education.

“We are proud to welcome these new members of the Ohio STEM Learning Network as they join’s Ohio’s diverse, and fast-growing STEM community,” said Aimee Kennedy, senior vice-president of education, STEM Learning and Philanthropy at Battelle. “Each new school broadens our perspective and grows the collective impact of this state’s strong STEM ecosystem.”