Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Honourable Sharie B. de Castro, has announced a renewed focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
Addressing educators at the 2024 Professional Development Day, de Castro revealed that the new academic year would continue under the theme “Virgin Islands Education: Moving Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead.”
The minister emphasized her vision to enhance students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation skills in a poem delivered to attendees.
Key elements to unfold in the curriculum include the introduction of STEAM innovations at the lower secondary level, expansion of robotics and coding programs in upper secondary schools and increased focus on digital literacy and innovation.
De Castro highlighted that these initiatives respond to students’ expressed desire for curricula that nurture their curiosity and ingenuity.