AISD STEM Academy Overview
The AISD STEM Academy debuted at Martin High School during the fall of 2015. The Academy was designed by teachers in partnership with the University of Texas at Arlington. Our mission is to prepare students to successfully enter into STEM college majors and careers through relevant, innovative and rigorous learning experiences at the high school and college level. Students earn credits along four pathways - engineering, biomedical science, computer science, and math/science. Students in the STEM Academy will have a chance to complete a number of first- and second-year STEM college courses at the University of Texas at Arlington prior to high school graduation. Students are also able to advance their STEM education outside the classroom with opportunities such as internships, mentorships, job shadowing, community service, enrichment programs, and summer learning opportunities.
In the Spring of 2023, we graduated our fifth class of 132 students. All students are entering either college or the military. We have students attending Rice University, Stanford University, Harvard University, Yale University, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT Austin, Texas A&M and many others. Students earned $10.1 million in scholarships, 861 hours at UTA with a class GPA of 3.48. One student alone had $1.1 million in scholarship offers and was accepted to all four US Military Academies. The STEM Academy offers all three Project Lead the Way pathways of Biomedical Science, Engineering, and Computer Science. We have students in both engineering and biomedical internships. Several students have participated in college research opportunities with UTA. We also have many students participating in STEM-related clubs and organizations – Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Robotics, Solar Car Challenge, Bell AVR Drones and Roboboat.
To date, we have just over 600 students enrolled in the Academy. We expanded the program this year from admitting 125 to 170 freshmen four years ago. This year we have added a drone program, and have entered into a partnership with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education where students will create micro-gravity experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station. We have 66 juniors and seniors attending dual credit classes at UTA. We are excited about continuing to grow and to add opportunities for our students.
UT Arlington - Partner in Education
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing research powerhouse committed to life-enhancing discovery, innovative instruction, and caring community engagement. An educational leader in the heart of the thriving North Texas region, UT Arlington nurtures minds within an environment that values excellence, ingenuity, and diversity.
Creating Pathways to Student Success - Article on UT Arlington Website regarding STEM Academy