Miami-Dade is the largest school district in Florida and represents a county with an over 80% minority
population and the largest wealth gap in the country. The district needed a solution that could provide equal and accessible opportunities for STEAM learning and career technical education pathways that appeal to students of all backgrounds, with specific emphasis on girls and underrepresented populations.

The district partnered with LEGO^® Education and Microsoft Education, to create an innovative approach to engaging more students in CTE programs. With LEGO^® Education SPIKE^™ Prime as it’s foundation the novelty and engagement of the solution had students eager to grapple with never before seen CS concepts to build their knowledge and skills as they prepared to take the Introduction to Programming Using Python industry certification, which hadn’t been offered before.

Most importantly the program will ensure that all students regardless of background will have access to vital STEAM learning opportunities. The result being an increase in overall enrollment of middle school students in the Computer Science CTE pathway, especially girls and underrepresented groups, ultimately preparing and providing them access to the Microsoft Technology Assistance industry certification in 8th Grade. This is the first Computer Science certification offered in the district.

Loudoun saw the success of their computer science programs specifically with the use of LEGO^®
Education WeDo 2.0 and LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® Education EV3 and wanted to provide more students with access to these playful STEAM learning opportunities. At the same time they were looking to raise the ceiling in their middle school programs in a way that was highly engaging and easy to implement.

Increasing the number of LEGO^® Education WeDo 2.0 and LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® Education EV3 sets to accommodate as many students as possible. Then Loudoun took their program to the next level for students in grades 6 - 8 with LEGO^® Education SPIKE^™ Prime. The easy entry point and unlimited possibilities made it a natural fit for boosting confidence, engagement, and progression of skills.

15,000 students will benefit from new access to LEGO Education’s STEAM Learning solutions. And if school resumes in person in 2021-2022 Loudoun anticipates that number growing exponentially. By expanding their programs they’ve set up a progression of skills that will lead to more students who are confident and prepared to thrive and pursue STEAM subjects and career paths.

With a student population of over 200,000, and two thirds on free or reduced lunch, Hillsborough knew that to successfully grow their secondary computer science program they had to ensure equity in their elementary and middle school students ability to develop a strong foundation. They wanted highly targeted professional development and a hands-on solution that fosters computational thinking and deepens students understanding of STEAM concepts.

The implementation of customized professional development focused on familiarizing teachers with LEGO^® Education SPIKE^™ Prime and creating hands-on engaging STEAM learning experiences to integrate into their curriculum and pacing plans. With their new tools, resources and knowledge base these teachers are providing students with a critical foundation of STEAM learning that ignites their curiousity and prepares them for future success.

More than 50 teachers who now have the confidence and skill to deliver fun and engaging hands- on learning experiences through SPIKE Prime, regardless of where learning takes place.

And over 1000 students who will benefit from their expertise and the low floor-high ceiling STEAM learning opportunities that SPIKE Prime allows for.

The Utah state government launched a Computer Science for All initiative in 2019 with the hopes of ensuring access and equity for all students when it comes to a robust computer science learning experience. Washington County didn’t have the resources to meet the requirements handed down from the state. They needed a k-12 solution that could scale to the 57 schools in the district that serves a population of over 155K spread across 2,247 sq. miles.

Initially the district ordered 210 LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® Education EV3 core and expansion sets to disburse across 14 schools with support and training that ensured success despite Covid-19 limitations.

In 2020 additional state funding allowed them to purchase a full continuum, from LEGO^® Education Coding Express right up to LEGO^® Education SPIKE^™ Prime. Currently they’re working with the LEGO^® Education solutions team on content to implement across all levels as well as planning for growth!

Rooted in access and equity this implementation is fostering and growing engagement in STEAM learning experiences for the district’s population of more than 34,000 students many of which are from underrepresented groups. All the while the district is able to meet core standards and integrate computer science in all disciplines. District faculty is also leveraging the new LEGO^® Education Professional Development platform to build the confidence and knowledge base of more than 120 teachers.