Can you pinpoint a class that changed your life? For many in the Puget Sound, Ms. Sandy Gady provides exactly that. Introduction to Engineering and Design and Engineering are specialized STEM classes that have had 16 years of positive impact on students at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines, Washington. This program is a unique opportunity to introduce students to a wide range of technical, professional, and social skills that serve as a foundation for their future education and career. Highline School District has decided to take this vital experience away from its students.

Pacific Middle School has a diverse student body and community but offers few pathways to connect it with STEM. Programs like these demystify and engage children in a field that can feel distant, challenging, and exclusionary and is inaccessible for many communities. Ms. Gady has created a program that IS accessible and inclusive to all, and provides equitable learning opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else. With 29 years of teaching experience, Ms. Gady has lovingly crafted a one-of-a-kind learning experience for her students.

In this rare, professionally focused curriculum students have the chance to develop skills that will open doors into future career paths by experiencing the following:

• Operating power tools and 3D printers
• Scientific procedure
• Design principles and processes
• Application of theory
• Organization skills
• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Strategic thinking
• Communication and presentation skills
• Problem solving

Please help us save Introduction to Engineering and Design and Engineering by signing this petition and sharing your thoughts below. If you are an alum or current student, please share your experience.

***Please Note we are not accepting donations, only support for our cause***