Amana Academy Parent Joins Georgia Advisory Council

Craig Dean, an first grade parent, was named to the Georgia Department of Education STEM Advisory Council. The council consists of education and business people who make recommendations to move STEM education in Georgia forward.

His background is in physics research and technology development with Argonne National Laboratory, the Battelle Memorial Institute, and Translumen Technologies.

STEM represents the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM education encourages a curriculum that is driven by problem solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and student-centered development of ideas and solutions. The saturation of technology in most fields means that all students – not just those who plan to pursue a STEM profession – will require a solid foundation in STEM to be productive members of the workforce.

Amana Academy is one of five STEM schools in Georgia.

The purpose of the council is to:
• develop effective STEM related curriculum and resources
• create a concept framework to connect GPS to STEM related curricular areas
• implement a Georgia STEM clearinghouse/website for STEM resources
• identify existing Professional Development characteristics and programs for achieving the STEM vision,
• develop a 3 to 5 unit PLU course on application of STEM concepts for certification renewal,
• develop an application process for schools to become a STEM specialty school, and provide multi-week institutes to train faculty and on-site support staff.
• deliver a targeted STEM awareness campaign for Georgia district leaders. school boards, students, instructors, school administrators, parents and the general public.