A Transformational Summer for Learning
Continuing its leadership in providing students with the innovative learning technologiesand skills they need to succeed at college and in their future careers, Stepinac High School this summer undertook the single largest expansion to date of its advanced technology-rich, real-world learning environment. The results of these major improvements, which included the transformation of existing classrooms and other spaces, will welcome students in the new academic year. The new learning spaces are a fitting culmination of Stepinac’s exciting 75th anniversary year celebration and successful $17 million capital campaign.
The latest round of improvements includes five additional cutting-edge Active Learning Centers, modeled after Columbia University’s non-traditional, 21st-century classrooms, and a 5,000-square-foot STEAM Center Wing, which is more than double the space of the original Center, which introduced advanced real-world learning technologies, notably a Finance Center equipped with Bloomberg Terminals.
Stepinac made headlines in 2019 when the first Active Learning Center was dedicated. Subsequently, the school transformed three other traditional classrooms into Learning Centers before embarking on the recent improvements that got underway soon after the end of the last school year.
When classes resume, Stepinac will boast a total of nine Active Learning Centers comprising a total of about 5,400 square feet of space that create a singular, one-of-a-kind learning experience for all students, unlike anything in the region. They help improve academic performance by heightening interactivity between students and instructors, and between students themselves when they collaborate in project- based learning curricula.
The STEAM Center Wing builds on the immediate and growing popularity of the 2,200-square-foot STEAM Center the school opened two years ago. Subsequently, Stepinac received the Executive Leadership Award from Fordham University Graduate School of Education for its outstanding STEAM program.
For the second year in a row, Stepinac’s successful Summer STEAM Day Camp has provided elementary school-age boys with an immersive program in robotics, engineering, gaming, physics, mathematics, and so much more.
The new STEAM Wing will be dedicated to the STEAM real-world learning curriculum to meet students’ increased interest in taking specialized academic studies to the next level. The project’s scope includes the conversion of an unused locker area into break-out spaces for flexible and small-scale instruction. In addition, 1,000 square feet of new space was created to house a 3-D Printing Design Center, an Interactive Anatomy Lab where Health Sciences students can explore the complexities of the human body in meticulous detail, and another Makerspace where engineering and architecture students can turn their ideas into reality. All the additions are fully integrated with state-of-the-art technology, including BenQ smart interactive displays.
These initiatives are the latest chapter in Stepinac’s mission and leadership in engaging, enhancing, and extending our learning environment with the application of curriculum to real-world problems.
As Stepinac prepares to open its doors for the new school year, I am pleased to invite prospective students and parents to the Fall Open Houses and be among the first to tour these new additions and discover how a Stepinac education is like no other in preparing young men to be globally competitive. The first Open House will be held October 18 at 5 and the second on October 22 at 12 and 1:30 p.m. with presentations at 12 and 1:30. RSVP required. Visit www.Stepinac.org to register and to learn more about the school. We look forward to hosting you. Peace!
Stepinac High School
950 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains
914-946-4800
www.stepinac.org
Director: Fr. Thomas Collins (’79)
