Evergreen’s Excellence Vaults School to STEAM Leadership

Evergreen Academy Middle School in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood is one of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district’s top spots for STEAM instruction, winning Demonstration Site School status and a $10,000 Innovation Award for its dedication to teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

The CPS evaluation team said Evergreen received top marks for “exemplary implementation of the STE(A)M Standards of Success,” a formal CPS program to improve learning in these disciplines. As a Demonstration Site School, Evergreen will set an example that other CPS schools will follow.

The middle school, which is located at 3537 S. Paulina St., Chicago, received top marks through a formal, scored evaluation process of its STEAM focus.

One of Many Awards

“During the visit, we spoke with administrators, teachers, students, and families,” the evaluation team wrote. “Evidence shows program standards are being implemented with fidelity and upheld by members of the school community.”

Principal Marian Strok of Evergreen Academy Middle SchoolThe Innovation Award and Demonstration Site School status lands alongside a lengthening string of accolades for the academy, which teaches 7th and 8th grade students as a CPS neighborhood school that accepts all comers in its attendance area.

School to Watch

Under Principal Marian Strok, who has led Evergreen for 16 years, the school has been designated five times as a National Forum "School To Watch" for Middle Grades Reform: a prestigious designation awarded by The National Forum, a non-profit educators association.

As a CPS Demonstration Site School, some of the next steps for Evergreen will include sharing knowledge and best practices with other schools through open houses, professional learning and other STEAM school events.

STEAM Instructional Core

“STEAM schools provide an instructional approach that values project and problem-based learning,” CPS wrote in its Steam Standards for Success.

“Students are immersed not only in STEAM disciplines and career pathways; STEAM Schools seamlessly integrate the fine, media, and performing arts into their instructional core.”