Campbell STEM is a PreK-6th grade public school located in Anchorage, AK. In the fall of 2016, the staff at Campbell Elementary initiated a proposal to move towards a STEM-based school. In the Spring of 2017, the Anchorage School District School Board approved the proposal. With the goal of featuring an interdisciplinary STEM curriculum, intentionally embedding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into every subject. 

Campbell STEM is a neighborhood school that also offers a non-biased lottery application process open to all ASD learners. We showcase our school throughout our community in numerous ways, such as the ASD website, school website, social media, school business partners, and inviting the community to our various events. We offer multiple school tours every year.

In 2023, the STEM Foundations team implemented a Positive Behavior Incentive Program (PBIP). The plan includes quarterly STEM-based incentives. In addition, Campbell STEM supports our district's English Language Learner program, gifted education, and Specific Designed Instruction program. Paraprofessionals, tutors, and teachers support their learning inside and out of the classroom. 

Being both a neighborhood and a lottery school supports that we are a diverse community. Campbell STEM is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment. A professional, caring and dedicated staff utilizes best practices to provide students with the skills and tools needed to achieve academic and social success in school and become respectful and responsible citizens. The Campbell STEM mission is to Support, Teach, Empower and Motivate. Campbell STEM’s vision is to build a community by creating a positive learning environment that thrives through STEM instruction and prepares students for a continuously changing world. 

Campbell STEM offers a complete educational STEM experience. Student leadership opportunities are offered through service on the STEM Council, peer tutoring, exploration, and Peer Mediators. Parent and community involvement and partnership is welcome and acknowledged as an essential component of student success. Campbell STEM and its business partners sponsor a variety of monthly social events to bring our community together during the school day as well as several after-school activities. 

Campbell helps students succeed through quality staff, parent involvement and community partnerships. Campbell STEM School believes a rigorous interdisciplinary STEM education, combining hands-on inquiry, the engineering design process, place-based learning, and real world problem-solving fosters the joy of discovery and understanding about the world that will prepare our diverse students for citizenship in the 21st Century. 

Mission: The Campbell STEM Mission is to Support, Teach, Empower and Motivate.

Vision: Our vision is to build a community by creating a positive learning environment that thrives through STEM instruction and prepares students for a continuously changing world.

Campbell STEM’s Collective Commitments

• To unite the community through communication and connection

• Students will be able to demonstrate perseverance to prepare for and face challenges in life

Campbell STEM’s Behaviors to Engage In

• We will commit to providing opportunities for student collaboration.

• We will commit to teach, model, and foster perseverance while maintaining high expectations.

• We will offer opportunities for the community to be part of our STEM learning during classroom instruction and/or after-school activities.

• We will keep students, families, and the community informed about Campbell STEM events and learning.

Campbell STEM Practices

Campbell STEM students are innovative learners applying the Engineer Design Process and Scientific Method to solve problems while learning. An example is building a game that involves opening or closing a circuit to either win or lose the game. Students learn about circuits and create a game. An additional example includes brainstorming and collaborating on how to make structures withstand erosion in Alaska’s diverse coastal communities. 

Learning begins with an overarching question that needs to be answered. Students will then decide which method they will use, either the Engineer Design Process or the Scientific Method. 

• The Scientific Method includes creating a hypothesis, determining how to test the hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and validating or invalidating the hypothesis. 

• The Engineer Design Process includes Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Experiment, and Improve. 

Students will be able to cycle through the process as many times as they need. Students at Campbell STEM share their learning with peers, stakeholders, and the local community in multiple ways. These include fairs, in school and after-school events, through social media, and oral presentations. 

Through community outreach, Campbell STEM collaborates with individuals to inform students of the career opportunities available in STEM fields. Collaboration occurs locally, nationally, and internationally. 

• CITC FabLab

• National Air and Space Museum’s STEM in 30

• NOAA demonstrated how they measured the atmosphere at the top of the world, took students on a virtual tour of the facility, and discussed the education required for their jobs. 

• Alaska Fish and Wildlife

• Dental Health hands-on activity about dental hygiene.

• Electrical Engineer - Chugach Electric’s VP of Engineering talked about the electrical grid. 

• Renewable Energy Alaska Project - solar energy presentation

• Nat. Geo. - Mapping Critical Habitats Webinar with

Standards Rating Process

Working together enables Campbell STEM instruction to be more effective. At Campbell STEM we work together to ensure we are meeting the school's mission and vision by assessing and recognizing strengths and areas for growth. All staff members took part in the process we used to assess during the Standards Rating Process. A survey was submitted to all the staff. The staff completed the survey providing initial results. The survey did not collect email addresses or ask for staff members' names as the STEM Foundations Team wanted staff to respond honestly. The STEM Foundations Team looked at the data and shared it with the staff looking for areas of growth. Professional development was implemented to address areas for growth. In addition, school practices such as student engagement in school activities were revamped to allow students to be a part of the planning process and ways to receive student feedback were implemented. After areas of growth were addressed by the school, the standards were assessed again through a gallery walk reviewing each standard that occurred by all staff. Each standard was placed on the wall. Staff read the standard to themselves, wrote a sticky note of information they wanted to share with others addressing the standard, and then discussed with the others at the standard. Each staff member then rated the standard using a rubric. A score of “4” was our goal. This process continued with all the standards. The STEM Foundations team reviewed the rubrics to determine strengths and areas for growth. All standards received a “3” or “4”. The team put a plan in place to address areas of growth as it is important to continue to grow and ensure students are receiving a rigorous, engaging, and authentic learning experience.

Grade levels: PreK-6 

Number of students: 413

Mascot: Bear Cub  

Colors: Blue & White

Motto or slogan: Campbell Cubs Can Do Great Things!

Campbell STEM School believes a rigorous interdisciplinary STEM education, combining hands-on inquiry, the engineering design process, place-based learning, and real world problem-solving fosters the joy of discovery and understanding about the world that will prepare our diverse students for citizenship in the 21^st Century.