Vigotsky Bilingual Academy launches Ricoh’s STEAM educational program
The Vigostky Bilingual Academy in Barceloneta implemented this semester Ricoh’s STEAM educational program, accessible to all students from kindergarten to eighth grade, school director Eliezer Morales said.
Faithful believer that dreaming big is the seed that will pay off in his professional careers, Morales found in Ricoh’s program the tools to sow — and cultivate — the dreams of his students who, he said “love” STEAM Lab.
The program provides access to the subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics through interactive and visual learning that integrates robotics, content and 3D printing.
“I like innovation. Don’t stay within the traditional methods and offer new curricula,” said Morales who founded the school with his wife in 2011, after both became unemployed, he in the pharmaceutical industry and she in education.
During this search for advanced teaching methods, Vigotksy’s educators and administration team came up with Ricoh’s STEAM Lab program.
“We found that our vision of dreaming big fits perfectly with Ricoh who offers us the tools and technology to achieve them. Students are fascinated because it helps them find solutions and develop their team leadership in a positive and safe environment,” Morales said.
Those characteristics are available to all students and teachers in Puerto Rico, said Manuel Santos, general manager of strategic verticals at Ricoh.
“STEAM Lab is an advanced resource that helps identify real problems with project-based learning or problems by integrating with the lessons that are already being taught,” he said.
“It develops the skills of discussing, ranking, looking for causes and effects in groups through a holistic and interdisciplinary approach and the creation of prototype solutions,” Santos said.
“Our alliance with Vigotksy Bilingual Academy will certainly encourage your student to prepare and anticipate the challenges of the future in professions that do not even exist today,” Santos said.
For Morales, one of the main challenges of growing in size and enrollment has been to find solutions that stimulate the development of leadership qualities geared in positive attitudes.
