STEM
From backyard discoveries to breakthrough innovations, students are reshaping the future.
That’s why our STEM program empowers Sixers to think like scientists, designers and engineers — equipping them to identify challenges, ask critical questions and craft creative, iterative solutions.
Project-based learning is a cornerstone of our year-long STEM course in the sixth grade at Chadwick. Through a year-long “Mission to Mars” project, engineering teams embark on a quest to establish life on the Red Planet. Sixers begin by studying the Jet Propulsion Lab’s rover-landing techniques and then apply those lessons to autonomously land their own prototype. Next, they design future Martian settlements using CAD software and 3D modeling, explore energy production and life-support systems, develop strategic proposals to secure mission funding, and finally apply design thinking in a rocketry unit to plan their voyage to Mars.
STEM at Chadwick extends far beyond the science and math classrooms. Students choose from a range of hands-on co-curriculars — Coding & the Arts, where they explore everything from animation to video games; Threaded Creations, experimenting with textile design; and Digital Art, harnessing modern tools to push creative boundaries.
Together, these experiences forge resilient problem-solvers and visionary leaders, ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow — on Earth and beyond.
