The interdisciplinary aspects and connectedness of STEAM are what Dr. Lindsay King believes help students develop critical thinking skills and resilience. 

“I think the best part about STEAM is that it brings people together to solve a problem,” said King, director of college and career readiness at Maize Unified School District 266. “Regardless of what problems you’ll be solving in the future, you’re always going to benefit from working together with a team and handle setbacks. This is the vehicle in which we are practicing that skill.”  

National STEM/STEAM Day is Friday, Nov. 8, which celebrates science, technology, engineering, (art) and mathematics. These subjects are woven into Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses which improve students’ college and career readiness, play a powerful role in preventing students from dropping out, and provide a variety of opportunities for postsecondary success and employment.  

Since STEAM concepts have been incorporated into Maize USD 266’s curriculum, King said postsecondary attainment has significantly improved for students with two or more credits in a pathway, increasing from 61.11% in 2019 to 98.93% in 2023. On-time graduation is also 100% for students with two or more credits in a CTE pathway.  

King oversees and leads career exploration awareness and preparation for the district, facilitates dual and concurrent credit opportunities, facilitates individual plans of study (IPS), and helps students work to get certifications they can use after they graduate.  

She said classes focused on a career is important so students can pursue the occupational field that appeals to them.  

“If they know what they want to do after high school, the classes can help prepare them with dual credit opportunities and certifications,” King said. “If it’s something they find they don’t like, it saves them time and money trying to find what the right fit is.”  

King also is principal of Maize Career Academy, which opened in Jan. 2019. With 28 pathways including health science, business marketing, manufacturing and construction, the academy focuses on helping students get college and career ready through hands-on learning with real world applications.  

“Whatever students want to explore postsecondary, they’ll have the opportunity here,” King said.  

Students from Maize High School and Maize South High School come to the academy depending on their schedules. A shuttle is available for students at the beginning and end of every block, so students can easily get to their next class.  

The district’s high school students aren’t the only ones who can participate in STEAM. Students in grades K-6 have STEAM as part of their regular schedule. Each week, they participate in hands-on activities that reinforce STEAM concepts. 

The STEAM classroom is project-based. Students look at different projects and discuss engineering, math and science standards, including computer science standards, that go along with that project and talk about what they need to do to complete the projects.  

King said students exposed to STEAM concepts earlier in their education is powerful as they move up into high school.  

“We’re really able to build on that and take students further than we would normally be able to,” she said. “Specifically, for us, it’s helped with girls in STEAM because they’ve had an opportunity to try STEAM projects, and they’ve really developed their confidence. Sometimes we see a drop in middle school, but those students are really able to tackle their confidence in middle school and high school.”  

The district also incorporates STEAM in the community, partnering with Maize Recreation Center and McConnell Air Force Base to offer hands-on activities.