The Value of a Young Women's STEAM Academy for College Prep

St. Agnes Academy
Looking to help your daughter grow her skills in technical fields? Consider a young women’s STEAM academy incorporating the arts into science, technology, engineering, and math.
High school is such a formative time for every student. There are so many aspects to consider when choosing the right school, and deciding what is most important can take time and effort to narrow down.

A strong curriculum that prepares your daughter for college and beyond should be at the top of the list. This idea is particularly true for any young woman pursuing a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) educational path or a future career in technical fields.

St. Agnes, for example, is an excellent college preparatory that offers a complete STEAM education, helping students focus on their interests while ensuring their college readiness. Join us as we unpack this option for your child.

What is STEAM?

During your search for a young women's STEAM academy, you may have questions about the difference between STEM and STEAM. Like STEM, STEAM is a relatively new term used in school systems to refer to a particular type of high school study and college prep.

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. A STEAM high school education focuses on core subjects relating to these fields.

Schools that provide STEAM educational paths also often provide elective course options or extracurricular activities that can further this type of learning, offering more knowledge, expanding on ideas, and presenting students with different opportunities for engagement.

STEAM educational paths differ from STEM paths in that they seek to address creativity and innovation. These two key concepts are sometimes left behind in more traditional STEM education.

STEAM learning paths work with the idea that a modern workforce will require a strong knowledge of mathematics, science, and technology, plus the imagination and innovation to adapt these ideas and use them in new and exciting ways.

STEAM education is also more inclusive, as it includes students who lean more toward the arts and might otherwise feel excluded from traditional STEM lessons or roles.

Why is a STEAM Education Path Beneficial?

The benefits of a STEAM education path are numerous. Take a look at these four benefits.

1. Foundation for Growth

At their core, traditional STEM subjects offer a strong foundation for any young woman excited about pursuing programs or careers in STEM fields. Math and science, for example, are essential building blocks for students looking forward to college engineering programs.

Encouraging an interest in math, science, engineering, and technology from a young age can also help girls break down gender stereotypes and move into fields that may have once been male-dominated.

2. Incorporates Artistic Abilities

STEAM education includes students who might be interested in arts programs, such as what we offer at St. Agnes. Students are encouraged to utilize their creative sides, solving problems through the use of ingenuity.

This learning method helps students tackle problems or answer questions from a different angle by challenging them to look at learning from new viewpoints.

For example, we offer Python coding classes that enable students to utilize their creativity in the programming world to learn how to code websites, software, and apps.

3. Challenges Students in Unique Ways

An exceptional young women's STEAM academy aims to challenge students, utilizing positive teaching methods and crafting class schedules and projects that focus on the individual. 

Students engaged in STEAM classes learn excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and they’re taught how to put these skills to use innovatively.

Whether a young woman is interested in a STEM career or would prefer to pursue a career primarily involving art and design, these skills are versatile. They can be incredibly useful in a surprising number of ways across different fields.

4. Grows Confidence

Providing a well-rounded education that touches on all of the elements of STEAM also helps young women build confidence.

Girls are often unconsciously steered away from STEM subjects, and studies show that female students start to doubt their math and science skills as early as third grade. Focusing on and encouraging an interest in these subjects can help to negate this.

Conversely, many students who excel in these subjects are encouraged to focus on them without incorporating artistic pursuits. STEAM education provides a way of learning that seeks to develop all of these areas equally, so students can utilize various elements as needed.

Inside the St. Agnes STEAM Curriculum

St. Agnes offers a thorough education that centers around core subjects.

Many of these subjects, including mathematics and natural science, focus on more traditional STEM concepts. However, other core subjects, such as English, history, social science, and world languages, speak more to the arts or blend math, science, technology, and the arts together. 

Another core subject, theology, expands students’ minds, offers structure and unity, and helps to prepare young women for a life lived with joy, confidence, and compassion. Theology is not pigeonholed to theology classrooms. St. Agnes takes pride in the inclusion of theology in all core classes. 

Students will need 26 credits to graduate. Although students must complete some core credits, there are many options within these courses, so young women can pursue the areas that speak to them.

- For example, students can choose between algebra, geometry, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, and statistics for their math courses, depending on their grade level.

A range of electives and art courses, including creative writing, drawing, painting, studio art, art history, filmmaking, photography, and graphic arts, are also available.

- St. Agnes realizes that classes or an educational approach must sometimes shift to keep up with the evolving needs of students. All of our classes are frequently evaluated and adjusted to meet changing demands and remain modern, relevant, and exciting.

Students are also encouraged to work with our college counselors to craft the best course schedule for their skills, interests, and future endeavors.

Consider Our Version of a Young Women's Steam Academy

If your daughter isn’t receiving a strong STEAM education at her current high school, it may be time for a change. At St. Agnes Academy, we understand the importance of a well-rounded education and the impact that education can have on a young woman’s future.

As one of the top Houston private schools, we strive to provide an education path that engages students, encourages them to ask questions, and motivates them to delve deeper into learning and their personal interests.

If you think St. Agnes might be right for your daughter, feel free to review our current curriculum. You can also explore our various extracurricular activity options to find out more about our plan to prepare students for success in high school, college, and beyond.
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