Lewisberry, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer today joined students ages six through 12 at Crossroads Middle School to explore the globe through slime, a journey that gives students the opportunity to make global slime from Italian pizza slime to Antarctic penguin slime, and all the gooey slimes in between – no passport necessary.
“Hands-on learning programs like Slimetopia are a great example of how we can keep students engaged and learning in a fun way throughout the summer months to help combat summer learning loss,” said PDE Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer. “This program is literally oozing with learning as the STEAM teams travel around the world, collecting slimy souvenirs along the way.”
Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (STEAM) education engages and empowers students of all ages to come up with meaningful solutions to societal problems and equips them with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to be successful innovators in the future.
Challenge Island’s hands-on programs, like Slimetopia 2: Total Slime Takeover, rest on foundational pillars such as higher-level thinking skills, project-based learning, screen-free fun, 21st century skills, STEAM, and more – helping students engage in collaborative, inquiry-based learning that promotes critical, analytical, and creative thinking to prepare them for an ever-changing workforce and society.
“I am proud to bring Challenge Island's cross-curricular enrichment programs to Central PA,” said Kristin McMahon, owner of Challenge Island Central PA. “The fact that participants work in STEAM teams in an environment where they feel safe to fail and learn from those mistakes improves resiliency. Following the engineering process in each challenge builds the foundation of a problem-solving mindset – preparing young students for the workforce of the future.”
Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2023-24 budget proposal includes an increase of $567.4 million for basic education funding. On top of that, Governor Shapiro plans to increase funding for computer science and STEAM education through PASmart by 25 percent to support innovative education initiatives and practices for Pennsylvania learners.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit PDE's website or follow PDE on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest.
MEDIA CONTACT: Taj Magruder, tmagruder@pa.gov
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