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STEAM

STEAM Education at TMSA

At TMSA Public Charter Schools, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) is at the heart of our mission to prepare students for success in an increasingly complex and innovative world. Our STEAM approach integrates these disciplines through hands-on, inquiry-based, and real-world learning experiences that inspire curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, TMSA’s STEAM program uses a blended, interdisciplinary approach that helps students understand how concepts connect and apply to authentic problems. From exploring coding and engineering design to engaging in artistic expression and scientific investigation, students learn to think critically, collaborate effectively, and solve problems creatively.

Across all TMSA campuses, STEAM instruction evolves with students’ developmental stages:

  • Elementary students build early curiosity through structured, inquiry-based learning that connects classroom lessons to real-world applications.
     
  • Middle school students deepen their understanding through project-based challenges and begin exploring STEAM careers and pathways.
     
  • High school students apply their learning through advanced coursework, research, and career-focused pathways that prepare them for college and future professions in STEAM fields.
     

Through partnerships, enrichment programs, and innovative classrooms, TMSA bridges in-school and out-of-school opportunities to ensure every student experiences the power of discovery, design, and innovation.

At TMSA, STEAM is more than a program; it is a mindset that empowers students to learn boldly, think globally, and lead with purpose.

SmartLab

At TMSA Public Charter Schools, our STEAM program inspires curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking from the earliest grades. Through hands-on exploration in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, students learn to ask questions, solve problems, and innovate with purpose.

Using the SmartLab Learning framework, students engage in inquiry-based projects that connect classroom concepts to real-world applications — from building circuits and coding robots to designing 3D models and exploring environmental technology. Our STEAM curriculum encourages teamwork, communication, and perseverance, preparing students to lead in an ever-evolving global society.

Grounded in TMSA’s mission to provide a rigorous, inclusive, and future-ready education, the STEAM experience empowers every learner to think critically, act ethically, and create confidently.

PLTW

Project Lead The Way provides transformative learning experiences for PreK-12 students and teachers across the U.S. At Triangle Math and Science Academy, we create an engaging, hands-on classroom environment and empower students to develop in-demand knowledge and skills they need to thrive. We also provide teachers with the training, resources, and support they need to engage students in real-world learning.

Reinventing the Classroom Experience

Our pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science engage students in hands-on activities, projects, and problems; empower them to solve real-world challenges, and inspire them to reimagine how they see themselves.

PLTW Launch (PreK-5)

Amazing Discoveries Start Here

Your PreK-5 students already have the qualities of great designers and innovators. What the PLTW Launch program at Triangle Math and Science Academy does is tap into their exploratory nature, engage them in learning that feels like play, and encourage them to keep discovering – now and for years to come.

PLTW Launch’s 28 interdisciplinary modules at Triangle Math and Science Academy bring learning to life. The program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. And as students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.

Building a Strong Foundation for Middle School, High School, and Beyond

Each PLTW Launch module at Triangle Math and Science Academy engages students in cross-disciplinary activities that spark a lifelong love of learning and build knowledge and skills in areas including computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. In addition, each module empowers students to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and perseverance.

PLTW Gateway (6-8)

Sparks Engagement and Illuminates Possibilities

Middle school is a time of exploration, a time when students are figuring out what they’re passionate about today and how that relates to who they’ll become tomorrow.

During this transitional time, PLTW Gateway’s 10 units empower students at Triangle Math and Science Academy to lead their own discovery. The hands-on program boosts classroom engagement and excitement, drives collaboration, and inspires “aha! moments” and deep comprehension. And as students engage in PLTW’s activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they see a range of paths and possibilities they can look forward to in high school and beyond.

PLTW Engineering (9-12)

Building a Strong Foundation for High School, College, and Career

Each PLTW Gateway unit at Triangle Math and Science Academy engages students in activities that not only build knowledge and skills in areas including computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, but also empower students to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and perseverance.

PLTW Engineering Students Become Tomorrow's Problem Solvers Today

From launching space explorations to delivering safe, clean water to communities, engineers find solutions to pressing problems and turn their ideas into reality. PLTW Engineering empowers students to step into the role of an engineer, adopt a problem-solving mindset, and make the leap from dreamers to doers. The program’s courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges that help them become better collaborators and thinkers. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

PLTW Engineering courses are part of the AP + PLTW engineering pathway.

PLTW Biomedical (9-12)

Empower Tomorrow's Biomedical Science Professionals Today

Whether discovering new cancer treatments or teaching healthy lifestyle choices to their communities, today’s biomedical science professionals are tackling big challenges to make the world a better place.

PLTW Biomedical Science students are taking on these same real-world challenges – and they’re doing it before they even graduate from high school. Working with the same tools used by professionals in hospitals and labs, students engage in compelling, hands-on activities and collaborate to solve problems. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

PLTW Computer Science (9-12)

TMSA’s PLTW Computer Science pathway empowers students to become innovators and problem-solvers in today’s digital world. Through engaging, project-based learning, students explore coding, data, cybersecurity, and app design while developing critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. Beginning with the fundamentals of programming and progressing to advanced Java and cybersecurity concepts, students gain a strong foundation in computational thinking and ethical technology use. This pathway prepares graduates for success in college, careers, and beyond as confident creators of technology rather than just consumers.