Florence, South Carolina – COGNIA, a leading organization that accredits primary and secondary schools across the United States and around the world, has awarded a STEM accreditation to Savannah Grove Elementary in the Florence 1 district.
“The COGNIA STEM certification of Savannah Grove Elementary School validates our commitment to excellence in STEM education and our dedication to preparing students for success,” said Savannah Grove Elementary School Principal Latonya Yates-Ford.
Savannah Grove Elementary is now one of seven schools in the Florence 1 area (joining Carver, Delmae, Royall, Moore, Southside, and West Florence) to achieve STEM certification. To earn this certification, Savannah Grove Elementary had to fulfill specific criteria set by COGNIA, which involved showcasing the effectiveness of its STEM program through detailed narratives, responding to various queries, and presenting concrete evidence.
“Once we provided the required information, a COGNIA evaluation team critiqued our documentation and interviewed students, teachers, parents and administrators,” said Yates-Ford. “During the final stage of the process, the evaluation team visited our campus and determined that Savannah Grove Elementary met the requirements for STEM-certification.”
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Savannah Grove Elementary STEM Coach Candice Heyward said, “Our recognition as a STEM-certified school means that we are dedicated to providing fun and engaging STEM activities for students to help them learn and grow through the Engineering Design Process. STEM certification demonstrates to the community that we are building students’ knowledge for them to embark on new journeys with endless possibilities for their future.”
Principal Yates-Ford further expressed expectations for students at Savannah Grove in light of the STEM certification.
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“As we continue to expose students to engaging STEM activities and experiences, students’ interest and passion for STEM subjects, can lead to them pursuing higher education or careers in these fields. This certification continues to shine a light on the Savannah Grove community as a community of lifelong learners. “We are proud of our certification and academic progress. We will continue to instill pride in our students and community.”
