Wildwood has an outstanding reputation for modeling the best in progressive education and creating innovative learning environments where students thrive. In this spirit, we are proud to announce the establishment of our Institute for STEM Research and Development on Wildwood's middle and school campus.

The Wildwood Institute for STEM Research and Development is a new center of study for students with a strong interest and aptitude in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The mission of the Institute is to provide a deep, probing, intellectually stimulating, and challenging STEM curriculum unique to Wildwood that is built around student-centered, hands-on learning opportunities that are not just applicable to the real world, but are of the real world.

With the establishment of the Institute for STEM Research and Development, Wildwood provides students the opportunity to explore math and science in ways that are as new and progressive as Wildwood. The Institute greatly expands learning opportunities available to students, and connects Wildwood to robust partnerships with leading research institutions.

"If you are reading about it, it's not science; it's history."

-Orville Chapman

The Institute offers a year-round program focused on project-based, collaborative experiences that have relevance today. Starting in 9th grade, A-STEM students will work together to research and design short- and long-term projects and summer experiences that are of interest to them. In the A-STEM Institute's inaugural year, we are offering students four potential areas of study: Astronomy and Space; Engineering; Electronics, Coding and Data Science; and Life Sciences.

The Institute is led by Joe Wise. Joe is a recognized leader in STEM learning and a recent addition to Wildwood's faculty. Joe comes to Wildwood with myriad connections to local and national science-affiliated organizations.

Through the Institute, Joe has introduced a lunchtime speaker series for middle and upper school students, featuring leaders in the STEM fields. He has also created formal partnerships between Wildwood and pedigreed organizations, with more being added each day. Both the California Association of Astronomers and the Radio Telescope Society are now holding their meetings at Wildwood, giving our students on-the-ground access to leading scientists. Wildwood has also become a GAVRT School (Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope), which is a partnership between NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER) that gives our students and teachers access to a radio telescope in the High Desert. Joe is also helping kids explore Wildwood's new 3-D printers, opening up a whole new world of creating, designing, and building.

The establishment of The Wildwood Institute for STEM Research and Development was made possible by the generous gifts of a small number of Wildwood families.