Stepinac Open Houses To Showcase New Classrooms

WHITE PLAINS, NY — One of the highlights of Stepinac High School’s two Open Houses in October will be the new active learning centers that were designed to take Stepinac’s pioneering personalized blending learning program to the next level. Parents and prospective students will be among the first to see the cutting-edge classrooms when they visit and learn how Stepinac, ranked as one of nation’s top 50 Catholic high schools, prepares young men for post-secondary success at college and in their future careers.

The first Open Houses will be held at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. The second set of Open Houses will be held at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27.

Modeled after Columbia University’s classroom, the advanced learning environment will continue Stepinac’s mission to prepare students for post-secondary success in a globally competitive world. “This will ensure a smooth transition for Stepinac students as they enter modern university classrooms and transformed cutting-edge workplaces,” said Frank Portanova (Class of ’93), vice principal for Academics and Curriculum.

The non-traditional, 21st century learning spaces significantly enhance the students’ learning experience and preparation for what they will expect when they go to college and into their chosen career or industry.

Portanova said that the "innovations help improve academic performance in the school’s project- based learning environment by heightening interactivity between the student and instructor and between students themselves when they collaborate in problem-solving assignments.”

The learning centers are equipped with numerous touch-interactive displays with high performance front-facing speakers, and numerous inputs for all video formats. They also provide built-in browser, white boarding, and wireless sharing without requiring a computer. The new software unleashes full potential of media-rich lesson planning. The new technology will also allow real-time access to subject matter experts and lecturers located around the world, brought live into the classroom via a state-of-the-art video conferencing capability. (This feature will also be used for students who are absent or on extended medical leave.)

In addition, the rooms are equipped with premier Steelcase furniture that will allow students to collaborate better, concentrate better, experiment better and learn better.

Stepinac’s leadership in curriculum innovation has been widely recognized by educators from across the country and internationally including digital learning expert Daniel Williamson, managing director of OpenStax at Rice University. After he visited Stepinac in February 2016 to learn more about the school’s headline-making blended learning developments including the launch of the first-of-its-kind all-digital textbook library, Williamson wrote: "Stepinac is truly a model for high school education in America," adding: “It is leading the way in implementing a cutting-edge, technology-enabled school."

To register for an Open House, visit www.Stepinac.org. For more information: Admissions@stepinac.org.

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