Mount Carmel Academy becomes STEM-certified

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

Mount Carmel Academy has become the first high school in New Orleans to earn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Certification by Cognia (a merger of AdvancED and Measured Progress). Cognia STEM Certification is the first internationally recognized mark of quality for STEM schools and programs.

“This recognition exhibits Mount Carmel Academy’s commitment to preparing our students with the STEM skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their post-secondary pursuits and the workforce,” said Beth Ann Simno, principal. “Using the Cubs Create Design Cycle for the last five years, our students have examined problems on the local and global level, imagined new and inventive solutions and collaborated to bring ideas to life. Our certification will uphold our school to the highest standards in STEM education as we continue to evolve and expand our programs.”

To earn STEM Certification, Mount Carmel Academy – whose mission includes STREAM, an extension of STEM that incorporates religion and art (musical, visual, literary) – had to demonstrate adherence to the Cognia STEM framework as reflected by the school’s performance across 16 rigorous STEM standards. Cognia’s STEM Certification reviewers examined classroom projects, professional development programs for faculty members, school-wide ventures, and extracurricular offerings that exemplified quality STEM education and real-world integration. Reviewers also interviewed school administrators, STEM faculty and staff, parents, students and community partners.

Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning and improvement services to institutions and other education providers. As a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, its 36,000 institutions serve and support nearly 25 million students and five million educators every day.

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