More than 200 people filled the classrooms and hallways at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Thursday evening to attend the school’s first-ever Learning Community PBL STEM Celebration. All of CGLA’s 325 students have been working in teams since the start of this school year on their PBL — problem based learning — projects in order to show them off to parents, school supporters and community members.
The students’ projects ranged from identifying and explaining the impact improper disposal of fats, oils and grease has on water systems, to the design of a sustainable home, to the invention of a cable protector for protecting delicate cell phone chargers.
One ninth grader rewarded samples of homemade spaghetti to visitors who could solve the mathematical equations of her pasta recipe. “Events like these give all of our students a platform to be successful,” said CGLA executive director Dr. Elaine Swafford. “Our students are not only utilizing STEM knowledge in their curriculum, they are also honing speaking skills while presenting their projects.”
Visitors were given six tickets (for the six grade levels competing) to select the best project from each grade. The students with the most tickets will be declared winners and announced when they return from Fall Break. CGLA’s next STEM Celebration is scheduled for Dec. 15.