The Odyssey STEM Academy

 

The Odyssey STEM Academy in Lakewood CA is a school that has reinvented itself a few times in its short five years of operation. Despite a growing student population, its student-to-teacher ratio of 20 to one is still below the state average of 22 to one. But that's not all. It has a lot to offer in terms of curricular innovation, interactive learning experiences and unique pedagogical techniques.

For starters, the new Odyssey STEM school combines personalized learning with a curricularly integrated model. Each trimester, 144 freshmen take part in multidisciplinary studio experiences. This includes the Cyborg Enhancements project. The school boasts an outdoor environmental sustainability complex, a makerspace and a new interactive center with a simulated animal habitat. These elements are complemented by an innovative schedule.

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Personalized learning is about more than filling in bubbles on standardized tests. Instead, it's about tapping into a child's interests and putting them into the context of the real world. In other words, it's about meeting the kid where he or she is.

What's more, it's a school that aspires to be a new model for public high schools. And that's a very big task. Those who know say that it will require a lot of community building. That's a tall order, but that's the kind of challenge that a small, nonprofit organization like Odyssey can tackle with the help of partners and donors.

In addition to focusing on academics, the Odyssey STEM team also took time to integrate the latest and greatest technologies into their classrooms. They started by installing ceiling-mounted sensor packs that tracked students' movements and other important data. As a result, they could create a learning management system (LMS) that could customize learning based on a student's preferences.

Using this model, the school also built a wacky, but useful, equine sensory trail. This supposedly impressive feat included a series of interactive stations that provide therapeutic sensory experiences. Some of these include a hippotherapy station, an equine simulation and a miniature zebra horn. Another, less impressive, achievement was the scalability of these features. By the end of the year, the school had created over 100 such interactive stations.

Ultimately, the school's most important contribution to the educational equation was its commitment to meet the needs of every student. The Odyssey STEM team sought parents' permission to coordinate school-based mental health supports with outside services. Specifically, they wanted to find out which programs would work for each student.

Other notable innovations included a seed-to-table program that provided a steady supply of scavenged food, an innovative and fun-filled curriculum, and a new student-focused website. During the last school year, the student-to-teacher ratio fell to a healthy 20 to 1. Despite this, the school was able to provide all 144 freshman with equitable multidisciplinary studio experiences.

Despite all of these successes, there have been a few hiccups along the way. There's still a ways to go before the Odyssey STEM name is synonymous with personalized learning.