CATHOLIC
STEM
CATHOLIC STEM: ENSURING A FUTURE OF GREATNESS
Catholic schools have a unique calling to form young scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians through programs that connect faith and reason. One of the greatest challenges facing many Catholic school leaders and educators is having the resources to respond to the ever-increasing demands and cost science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Catholic STEM—a partnership between the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) and the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering—supports STEM initiatives in the 79 Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Together, we are committed to transforming 22,000 students into virtuous citizens formed in mind, body, and soul by providing solid STEM instruction that is built upon the strong foundation of Catholic tradition, faith and service.
OUR GOALS
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Equip teachers with with cutting edge STEM training and skills.
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Create STEM-literate students who are well prepared for higher education and promising careers.
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Offer opportunities for young people to explore STEM-related concepts and nourish an interest and passion early in life.
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Target ethnic and gender gaps in STEM fields.
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Provide a STEM lending library with state-of-the-art equipment that can be shared by all schools.
There have been countless renowned scientists and inventors who were devout Catholics. Although their backgrounds differed, they had in common the belief that faith and reason are partners in probing the mysteries of God's creation.
For many people, this is a surprising secret: expecting faithful Catholic Christians to be challenged by (if not outright rejecting) the scientific and mathematical principles underlying such theories as "the Big Bang," heliocentric cosmology, cytology, etc. Instead, we find the very originators of these understandings, true Catholic "icons" of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.