admin Understanding the importance of quality education is crucial. Quality education extends beyond mere academic achievement; it centers on holistic development, nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Its aim is to ready students for real-world challenges, empowering them to make positive contributions to society.
Quality education not only imparts knowledge but also nurtures students’ intellectual, emotional, and social well-being. It adopts a comprehensive and learner-centric approach, moving beyond mere memorization and grades. Through the creation of a supportive environment, quality education guarantees that students develop the skills and attitudes necessary for continuous learning and personal development.
Established in 2009 by Carter Tatge, STEM Fuse embarked on a straightforward mission—to champion and enhance STEM education. In pursuit of this objective, the STEM Fuse team crafted high-quality STEM courses that are not only easily taught but also designed to accomplish two key goals. First, the curricula must genuinely captivate and involve students, and second, they must be both cost-effective and practical to implement.
Now implemented in more than 3,500 schools across all 50 states, STEM Fuse provides a comprehensive K-12 pathway encompassing STEM and Computer Science programs. This educational journey introduces students to the realm of Computer Science and problem- solving. As they progress, they delve into areas such as Game Design, Website Development, and gain industry-relevant skills using coding languages.
Originator of the Institution
“Capitalizing on kids’ natural curiosity is half the battle of filling the millions of vacant positions in STEM fields. However, we faced a shortage of high school students who were inclined to participate in various collegiate programs and degrees.” – Tyler Tatge
Tyler Tatge, the VP, Platform & eLearning Services at STEM Fuse. Prior to that, they worked as a digital print operator at Merrill Corporation from September 2010 to May 2013. There, they were responsible for printer maintenance, repair, and overall machine functionality. Tyler also focused on inventory control, collation, shipping, receiving, order picking, and recycling. Before Merrill Corporation, Tyler Tatge worked as a lead generator at Your Home Improvement Company from May 2010 to October 2010. There, they were in charge of booth set up and take down, collaborating with event coordinators, and traveling across MN fairs and conventions to network and meet potential customers.
Tyler Tatge attended St. Cloud Technical College, where they studied business administration, management, and operations.
Tyler Tatge reports to Carter Tatge, Founder & CEO. They work with Jeff Hagy – VP, Business Development, Liz Eversoll – VP, Career Platform, and Chelsea Schreiber – Director, Customer Service & Engagement. A direct report to Tyler Tatge is and Matt Nupen – Director, Platform & eLearning Services.
Idea behind the Institution
“We embrace our own philosophy. We apply a STEM-powered, real-world problem-solving approach to comprehend an issue, brainstorm and develop a solution, and then proceed with testing and delivering the same.”- Tyler Tatge
The idea of establishing STEM Fuse originated from Tatge’s tenure as a recruiter for one of Minnesota’s largest college systems, ranking as the fourth largest in the U.S. While serving as a recruiter for upper Midwest high schools, where the focus was on encouraging students to explore STEM career pathways such as computer science, health sciences, biotechnology, and more, Tatge observed a lack of interest among students in pursuing STEM degree programs.
Recognizing that tapping into children’s inherent curiosity is a significant factor in addressing the numerous vacant positions in STEM fields, Tatge realized that there weren’t enough high school students inclined to participate in various collegiate programs and degrees. Tatge reflects, “Capitalizing on kids’ natural curiosity is half the battle of filling the millions of vacant positions in STEM fields. However, we faced a shortage of high school students who were inclined to participate in various collegiate programs and degrees.”
As a result, STEM Fuse was established in 2008 with the aim of sparking student interest in STEM subjects through enjoyable and compelling courses that guide students throughout their K-12 journey and along their career path. “Our initial creation was a course centered on game design, emphasizing computer science, coding, engineering, design thinking, and advanced math and physics. Our goal was to demonstrate to students that, with the right blend of math, physics, and coding, they could create intriguing games. This approach proves more effective in capturing student interest than traditional textbook formulas and equations,” Tatge explains.
Since then, STEM Fuse has added 34 full semester courses and the library of supplemental lessons, accomplishing about 5,000 hours of STEM lessons. The company then built its intuitive delivery platform to help students access their contents from home or anywhere they want on any device. The platform also helps students capture their work and progress and provides schools with up-to-date reports on their students in just a click of a button. Over the decade, STEM Fuse has emerged as a brand renowned for innovation and creativity in the K- 12 space, delivering its solutions to about 15000 schools in all 50 states.
The semester-long courses are focused on both STEM and career technical education (CTE,) including computer science, mobile app design, game design, business technology, engineering and design, 3D printing, and more, and can be implemented right from kindergarten all the way up to the 12th grade or even till first two levels of college. These courses are geared toward helping your school create pathways for your students. STEM Fuse also includes PD and support with every course subscription to ensure quick and long-lasting success.
The library of smaller supplemental STEM lessons, on the other hand, is designed to tie STEM skills and concepts into all core subjects, be it English language, Arts, or History. Teachers can use these digital modules to teach project-based Computer Science and 3D printing for every Social Studies, Science, Math, and ELA classroom! Be it the semester-long courses supplemental courses STEM Fuse ensures that all of them are aligned with state and national standards for each grade level and area of study.
Real-world Problem-Solving Approach
Fascinatingly, akin to instilling critical thinking through its courses, the STEM Fuse team adopts the concept of employing the design cycle as a method of problem-solving. Tatge discloses, “We embrace our own methodology. We apply a STEM powered, real-world problem-solving approach to comprehend a problem, brainstorm and create a solution, followed by testing and delivering the same.” In this manner, the company transforms a highly technical subject into something that is palatable and easily digestible for both students and teachers, ensuring it remains engaging and straightforward to teach without compromising its rigor.
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