Program Support
STEM Partners
STEM Initiatives- Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Programs
With the help of our partners’ support encouraged, STEM learning during academic hours is available to all MPCS students, in addition to extra– and co-curricular activities. At Cougar Elementary School (grades K-2), the mini
cougars are exploring engineering applications such as Leprechaun traps on Saint Patrick’s Day. Mini Cougars are also using technology blocks to experience applications to help improve literacy skills.
Across campus at Manassas Park Elementary School, students are equally excited about STEM. Every student in third through fifth grades has a built-in STEM Learning Lab scheduled into their school day. Every student. Every day. Students are finding creative approaches to solving world problems like pollution. They are constructing experiments to test their hypothesis, and evaluating their success.
At both the middle and high schools, new STEM education programs were implemented in the Career and Technical Education programs. Both the middle and high school programs continue to produce successful, competitive robotics clubs, but the new inaugural STEM programs add an opportunity for students to pursue STEM within the school day as well. Both programs encourage critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and a multitude of other skills that the business community needs in the workforce to fulfill new careers that do not yet exist.
Special thanks go to our business partners with a high involvement and sponsorship of the STEM initiatives for Manassas Park students.
Cougar Literacy Run
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With a surge of participants, the Cougar Literacy run has gained popularity within the community and the schools. With our business partners’ sponsorships and participation in fundraising events, over $15,000 was raised for promoting literacy within Manassas Park City Schools.
What began eight years ago as a way to engage students in physical activity and promote reading has morphed into a campaign trifecta: promotion of literacy, engaging in healthy physical activity, and an increased all-around wellness. The Cougar Literacy Run works within the elementary schools to promote specific reading goals for students. The students who meet their goals get a limited edition Literacy Run t-shirt at the event after completing the one-mile run.
Following the 5k run, this year’s race event featured a post-race wellness fair with community partners providing health screenings, Child ID cards from the police department, free samples, portion plates, toothbrushes, even hip hop dance lessons. This year’s event raised the largest amount to date, through great organization, promotion, and partnerships.
With over $30,000 in funds raised over eight years, and $15,000 this year alone the Cougar Literacy Run is a great event for Manassas Park students. The funds raised through the Cougar Literacy Run were used to purchase handheld tablets for students to encourage and engage readers. Funds were also used to purchase books. The elementary campuses put together a morning book cart for students, additional accelerated reading books, book sets for book rooms, and nonfiction books sets. In addition, grade level magazine subscriptions and board games were purchased. Students at both campuses saw an increased concentration of reading sources available to them.
We would like to thank our partners in support of improving literacy and health awareness for our students. Their generous sponsorships, donations, and participation with fundraising events have increased the value of reading in Manassas Park students’ lives.
- Allstate Insurance
- Manassas Park Schools Parent Teacher Organization
- The Prince William Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority
- Railroad Dental Associates
- The Running Store
- Kohl’s of Haymarket
- Children of America
- Patient First
- Smileworks Dental
- StylinForU
- Applebee’s
- Sheetz
- Noodles & Co.
- Skate N Fun Zone