As a way to provide children with a good foundation for a later understanding of more abstract scientific concepts, ECC provides many first-hand concrete activities such as water play, sand play and garden exploration, and science kits provide opportunities for scientific exploration and inquiry. All these activities help the children make the connection between everyday experiences and scientific concepts. ECC's science curriculum is designed to provide children with exciting science experiences that extend their natural fascination with the world and help them learn the science skills and concepts they will need in later schooling and in life.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is an important part of the All Saints curriculum. Of the twenty fastest-growing career fields in the United States, fifteen of them require a STEM education. It is widely recognized that the United States needs to do a better job of preparing its students to be able to integrate skills and knowledge in these four fields, not only to prepare those who will end up working in a STEM-related career, but to prepare all of its students to grow into informed citizens, able to make wise decisions on the many public issues involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
All Saints' math, science and technology teachers work together to ensure that, at all grade levels, All Saints’ students “do STEM.” Presented with a problem to solve, students brainstorm in small groups, using their science, math, and technology skills, to design and engineer a solution to the problem. They test their design, and, if necessary, re-engineer it before presenting their solution to their classmates. Among the many STEM design challenges, students undertake are roller coasters, spirometers to measure lung capacity, cardboard furniture to hold classmates, rain gauges, bird feeders, electrical circuits, bridges, and oil spill cleanup systems. In addition to the design challenges, students routinely integrate their math and technology skills into their regular science lessons.
STEM education is not only fun for students, but it also teaches them the importance and value of creativity, collaboration, flexibility, and communication, important traits for 21st-century citizens.