This summer saw a lot of changes, including a new age-differentiated curriculum that introduced young children to 21st Century Life Skills and prodded older children to learn more about the skills and how they apply to their lives. With the help of educational specialists in the spring, we also changed the order of the skills […]
iSchool builds all of its programming around our core curriculum that builds 21st Century Life Skills. This sets us apart from other organizations offering STEAM programs and is the reason for our success. In spring 2016 we offered two classes at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Falls Church: our introductory Innovation Lab 1 class, which […]
“It feels like… a Leader.” We conducted exit interviews of students at the end of the Innovative Engineering and Robotics Course through the Excel Beyond the Bell Collaborative in partnership with the Davinci STEAM School of Engineering for Youth. We are so proud of the impact we made on the lives of these young […]
Our partnership with the Davinci STEAM School of Engineering for Youth to offer an Innovative Engineering and Robotics Course through Excel Beyond the Bell and three Montgomery County Public Schools (Neelsville MS, Montgomery Village MS, and Col. E. Brooke Lee MS) is leading to socioemotional gains and improved understanding of engineering and robotics for the […]
iSchool joined over 1,000 organizations – including some of the largest STEM companies in the world – in engaging and delighting visitors at the 2016 USA Science and Engineering Festival, held in Washington D.C. iSchool directly engaged with over 1,000 visitors during the April 15 Sneak Peak event and April 16 Public Expo. Our variety […]
Watch a video about the Day! iSchool for the Future had the pleasure of teaming up with Orbital ATK in Dulles, VA to present a STEM Expo and Rocket Contest on Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, (April 28, 2016). In line with the national event, our theme was “Sparking Aha! Moments.” […]
nbsp& iSchool for the Future is proud to be an Official Partner of the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival, to be held April 15-17, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Find us at Booth 1349 on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16. Try out MakeyMakey Musical Circuit Boards, Choppers, Math Games, and Electromagnetic Sculptures and Trains! […]
“My son is smart. But he doesn’t know how to use his intelligence. He’s missing the skills he needs to use his smarts to their full potential.” - an iSchool Parent We help children develop the 21st Century Life Skills they need to be their best selves. We do this by explicitly teaching and […]
Our winter sessions finished at Thomas Jefferson ES in Falls Church, Forestville ES in Great Falls, and Charles Barrett ES in Alexandria with some of the clearest evidence yet that focusing on life skills leads to emotional and academic success. A parent of a 4th grader shared that her son had gotten better grades than […]
Like Homopolar Motors, an Electromagnetic Train is a “Wow”-inducing activity that helps children learn about STEM concepts such as circuits, magnetism, and machines. Making electromagnetic trains also requires children to show Perseverance and to Embrace Failure, and as such is a great way to teach children about having a Growth Mindset. Tying machines and […]
Friday’s Science Night, offered through a partnership between iSchool and the Forestville PTA, was another in our long line of fun, educational, and community-building events! See many more photos on our Facebook Page. Over 130 children and their families visited 9 stations to explore ways the new Forestville will be Green after its […]
Chain Reactions came into iSchool’s curriculum by way of a student request to learn more about Rube Goldberg… and they are a hit! Chain Reactions are fun and teach basic science concepts such experimentation, observation, energy, and Newton’s laws. It’s also a great activity for learning and practicing nearly all of our 21st […]
REGISTER Link VOLUNTEER Link Friday, April 1, 2015 6:00 to 7:30 pm Forestville Elementary School It’s FREE! Register here to ensure we have enough hands-on materials for your family! You will also be entered into a drawing to win a Science Kit AND you will get hints before the event! Sign up or […]
In our programs we encourage and teach children to have a Growth Mindset. Our progression includes learning what a Growth Mindset is and comparing it to a Fixed Mindset, embracing the Power of Yet, learning how to Embrace Failure, and discovering the joy of Perseverance. We combine lessons on Growth Mindset with Creative STEM activities […]
To help children develop 21st Century Life Skills, our Winter 2016 classes have been advancing Growth Mindset and layering multiple skills such as the 4Cs. Having a Growth Mindset requires children to realize they can change as they learn, be able to embrace failure, continually persevere, and take advantage of the psychological power that comes […]
Students in our middle school programs show off their ideas for robots iSchool is proud to have moved towards achieving one of our goals of diversifying our audience to include upper grades and students from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. In February we began offering a new Creative STEM Engineering Robotics afterschool class […]
Food is always an excellent tool for learning – it creates excitement and automatically inspires children to think outside of the box. Our Food Fun Days are popular with kids and effective at helping them learn science concepts and the utility of the 21st Century Life Skill of the Day. Our activities that use […]
Some activities are perfect for exploring the 4Cs of Success: Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, and Collaboration, and our Energy-Conscious Buildings activity is one of them. It is a great example of how iSchool for the Future combines Creative STEM Programming with 21st Century Life Skills. In this activity, children must collaborate in teams to […]
We are always challenging our students to think outside of the box and persevere at something hard. Our latest activity, making Homopolar Motors, embodies this spirit and adds creativity and some advanced STEM Concepts to the mix. In this activity children use special magnets, copper wire, and batteries to make a creative, moving sculpture. […]
Hands-on learning, creativity, motion, and movement… The fun never stops with the Rubber Band Car activity! In our classes we do this project both to introduce engineering and STEM terms and to allow for creative, innovative thought. It’s a winning combination that is offered in all of our programs. The activity is challenging […]
