Beginning in Preschool and continuing through High School, our students engage in rich, bilingual experiences that integrate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) into meaningful, age-appropriate projects, emphasizing project-based learning. STEM classes take a cross-curricular approach, challenging students to synthesize their knowledge from multiple disciplines in order to solve problems. Whether developing early logical thinking skills through screen-free tools or advancing into digital design and programming, students are guided through a progression that fosters curiosity, confidence, and real-world understanding.
Our STEM curriculum is designed to grow with students from the early years through Middle and High School. As they progress, students engage in increasingly complex challenges that blend creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, empowering them to explore ideas, experiment with solutions, and apply their learning in real-world contexts.
Coding starts in Kindergarten, with Bee-Bots, which offer a fun, screen-free introduction to programming. Students learn how to sequence steps, follow algorithms, and problem-solve using tactile, hands-on robots.
As they grow, students begin coding using Scratch Jr, a block-based platform that teaches basic concepts through fun and interactive projects. In upper elementary grades, students advance to Scratch, where they create games, animations, and stories, learning to build sequences, loops, and conditionals. In Middle School, students work with Micro:Bit and dive deeper into coding with MakeCode and advanced Scratch features like variables and Boolean logic.
Explore how coding is taught at the French American Academy. Learn more on our blog →
Using tools like programming Probot and CuteBot, students explore robotics from the early grades through Middle School. They learn how to give precise instructions, understand how robots interpret code, and program robots to move, react, and complete challenges. These projects help them understand the connection between software and the physical world.
Explore how we teach STEM at the French American Academy. Learn more on our blog →
Engineering is woven throughout the STEM curriculum. Younger students design and build simple objects using basic materials. As they grow, they tackle more complex design challenges, working in teams to imagine, prototype, and refine technical solutions. In Middle School, students use CAD software like TinkerCad to create digital models and engineer more advanced systems.
With access to 3D printers, students design and print custom objects to support engineering challenges and classroom projects. They learn about spatial reasoning, measurement, and digital design, while experiencing the excitement of bringing their ideas from screen to reality.
Explore how we teach STEM at the French American Academy. Learn more on our blog →
Throughout all grade levels, students explore how technology affects the world around them. They engage in discussions, group work, and creative problem solving, learning how to collaborate effectively, stay persistent, and communicate their ideas clearly.
Our Middle and High School students have access to a dedicated Maker Space—an open, flexible environment equipped with tools and technology that inspire creativity and innovation. Whether they’re building, prototyping, or sketching out ideas on our writable desks, students can use this space during breaks or after school to explore and bring their ideas to life.
In Elementary School, The French American Academy’s world-class, bilingual curriculum gives students a proven path for academic success. First, it includes measurable progress in core skills like reading and writing, math, and science. Second, but equally important, it provides children cognitive development and social-emotional growth through various aspects of the academic life.
The Elementary curriculum develops bridges between the program of the French Ministry of National Education and the US Common Core to ensure students build a strong foundation for future learning.
The French American Academy’s bilingual model enhances STEM learning by helping students approach problems from multiple perspectives, communicate complex ideas in two languages, and think critically across disciplines. This dual-language foundation supports strong cognitive development and global readiness.
STEM learning at the French American Academy begins in Preschool through playful, hands-on activities that build early problem-solving, observation, and spatial reasoning skills. As students grow, they transition into more structured STEM experiences.
STEM at teh French American Academy is integrated across the curriculum through project-based, inquiry-driven learning. Whether in science, math, language, coding or STEM class, students are encouraged to think critically, collaborate, and apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
