Addressing equity through enrichment for high-achieving students underrepresented in STEM

Providing Rich Opportunities Plus Enrichment Learning

Goals of the Programs:

• Developing high-level reasoning skills in students.

• Providing students with opportunities to enhance behaviors associated with high achievement and demonstration of the 5C’s

  • Collaboration

  • Communication

  • Contribution

  • Creation

  • Critical Thinking

• Assisting students with planning and preparing for academically rigorous coursework in middle and high school and for entry into competitive academic programs.

• Providing opportunities for parents to share as educational partners.

Program Details:

Our mission is to provide STEM opportunities for elementary and middle school students underrepresented in the STEM fields. PROPEL is the elementary level program and Level Up for middle school students. Our programs run in three sessions: 9 weeks in the fall, 9 weeks in the spring, and summer camps. Students are challenged throughout the program to engage in a curriculum that promotes critical thinking and collaboration. The fall session theme changes each year to provide engaging experiences for the different grade levels. Spring sessions are focused around VEX robotics, where students combine their engineering, problem-solving, and computer science skills to compete in a program-wide robotics competition. In the summer, students are given a choice of STEM subject-matter courses that best suit their interests. 

This program allows students to engage in STEM opportunities that takes their learning to new heights. The program encourages students to pursue honors, AP, and IB classes in the STEM field and hopefully choose a future career in STEM.

The program provides learning for families as well as students to outline the best track for their children to achieve their higher-learning goals. Each month, a parent newsletter is sent to families that gives program highlights, future opportunities, and dates for parent learning sessions.

Program Locations:

PROPEL Elementary Schools:

• Frederick Douglass Elementary School

• Forest Grove Elementary School

• Guilford Elementary School

• Leesburg Elementary School

• Lucketts Elementary School

• Meadowland Elementary School

• Potowmack Elementary School

• Rolling Ridge Elementary School

• Sugarland Elementary School

• Sully Elementary School

Level Up Middle Schools:

• Harper Park Middle School

• J.L. Simpson Middle School

• Seneca Ridge Middle School*

• Smarts Mill Middle School

• Sterling Middle School*

*Asterisks indicate in-school Resource Block programs at Seneca Ridge and Sterling Middle Schools.

Follow us on X (twitter) at: @PROPELLevel