Benton High School is set to offer a new program to students next year.

STEM — short for science, technology, engineering and math — is an honors curriculum that focuses on those subjects.

Twenty incoming freshmen have already applied for the new program and current Benton High students interested in STEM will be grandfathered into the program.

The program is set up for students to take various honors courses in the four subjects over their high school career.

Carol Wade, chemistry and biology teacher at Benton, said many students were already interested in taking the classes but couldn't find room in their schedules. The STEM program structure will allow students to take those classes.

"We've pretty much lined up their four years for them, but within the lineup is room for other activities like band or sports," Wade said. "We already offered some of the classes; now we're providing an organized way for them to fit them into their schedule."

Another benefit to the STEM program is that students take math and science courses in the school's new math and science wing, which boosts computer labs and other technology in classrooms. STEM scholars can also join the school's engineering club and participate in the Northwest Louisiana Autonomous Robotics Competition.

The new Cyber Command, which is provisionally headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, and the related Cyber Innovation Center, a civilian component, are also reasons science and math teachers at Benton decided the 2008-09 school term would be ideal to launch STEM.

Read the full article at ShreveportTimes.com...