Four WCSD Schools Earn 
Governor’s STEM School Designation

Reno, NV (May 20, 2024) – The Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation & Technology has bestowed STEM School Designations on four Washoe County School District (WCSD) schools this year: Incline Elementary, Middle, and High schools became the first and only “vertically aligned” schools in the state to achieve this designation. Smithridge Elementary School in Reno also earned the “developing” STEM designation for 2024.

“It’s fantastic,” said Dan Lediard, principal of Incline Middle School, which has been designated as a developing STEM school. “STEM education is important for many reasons. but the biggest reason is that it teaches students how to solve problems using the techniques and skills they’ve learned in public schools. Students are encouraged to find the problem, discuss it, create possible solutions, and then solve the problem to the best of their abilities with some guidance from the teachers. As Gov. Lombardo said, “We are producing a positive, proactive workforce for the state of Nevada and that’s one of our main goals.”
 
In Jan Hrindo’s 7th grade Science class at Incline Middle School, students have been experimenting with the most effective chemical combinations to warm up Meals Ready-to-Eat (MRE’s). Hrindo, who received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from President Obama in 2015, says her seventh graders are combining engineering and chemistry lessons to solve problems.

“These students now can tell you the chemical formula of copper sulfate and aluminum and they can explain reactants and products, and they understand if there’s something left over, what does that mean?” said Hrindo, who has taught for almost 30 years. “They’re understanding how these parts of chemistry are working together for a real-life scenario.” 
 
“I enjoy how hands-on our experiments are,” said student Caleb Anderson. “It’s more active and fun.”

Students in Adam Shoda’s STEM class at Incline High School were awarded a Lemelson-MIT grant last fall to create a device that warns homeowners about excessive snow loads on the roofs of their homes which can lead to devastating damage. The class is one of only eight teams in the country that was invited to present its project at the national convention in Boston next month.

“They get to explore their own interests and apply it to a real-world problem,” said Shoda. “So that’s very different from a science classroom or a math classroom where they’re given a problem that has a defined solution. This did not have a defined solution.”

I’ve enjoyed this project because it’s helping real-life situations,” said Elliot Daniel, a junior. “Two years ago, we had a lot of snow, and a whole lot of homes collapsed and caused millions of dollars in damages. This will help people know when roofs are going to collapse so they can clear the roof, which can still cost a pretty penny. But it won’t cost as much as redoing your entire house.”

“I was definitely interested in STEM before I came into this school,” said sophomore Chloe Greer, “but I think coming here and becoming part of the engineering program has made it grow a lot. Honestly, I’ve realized maybe if I don’t do medicine, I’ll go into engineering. I like it a lot.”

"At Incline High School, we believe that empowering students with a STEM education is more than teaching science, technology, engineering, and math—it's about equipping them to solve real-world problems, innovate for the future, and drive societal progress,” said Incline High School Principal Tierney Cahill. “In every challenge they tackle, they learn resilience, creativity, and critical thinking, preparing them to become the leaders and change-makers our world needs. We are grateful to Governor Lombardo for creating this designation." 

Fifth graders at Incline Elementary School—which has been designated as an established STEM School – are learning about inventors and creating projects that reflect their chosen inventors’ work. One chose Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and engineer who bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize. Another chose Marie Curie, a Polish physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. 

Their teacher is Trina Kleinhenz, a teacher and STEM coordinator who recently was named the Northwestern Nevada STEM Teacher of the Year.

“They’re learning how to work together as a team and collaborate, solve problems, to be innovative and creative, and they also are working toward learning all those skills that are so important in today’s world,” said Kleinhenz. “And they have fun. Because learning is engaging and fun for them, it helps them enjoy school more and want to learn more.”

“We want to set these kids up for success with a set of useful skills that will benefit them long after being in our school,” said Incline Elementary School Principal John Stern. “Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking will give our students the ability to be successful in any job they choose."

Finally, Smithridge Elementary School in Reno was designated as a developing STEM school, and Principal Mike Dixon applauds his teachers and staff for keeping his students engaged with innovative activities and lessons, from learning about botany in the school garden—where vegetables will be grown and shared with families—to teaching computer coding to kindergartners.

“It’s harder than ever to engage kids in school, and we know that everywhere right now,” said Dixon. “So, if we can provide meaningful activities or projects that are exciting for kids, that truly is my number-one goal right now. I think the more engaged our kids are, the more engaged our team is, and that makes a healthier climate for everybody.”

Karin Hester is an Education Technology Specialist at Smithridge, who was recently named the 2024 Outstanding STEM Educator of the Year by the Society of Women Engineers. She is teaching coding to kindergartners, using small robotic bees— “bee bots”—to help them learn.

“Students work in pairs: one is the navigator, and one is the driver,” said Hester. “The navigator writes the code, and the driver types the code into the bee bot, then presses ‘go.' The students need to communicate and collaborate to be successful. Then they will switch roles. It’s amazing what they can do at this age.” 

The Nevada Governor’s office has designated six WCSD schools as developing or established STEM schools. They include Dorothy Lemelson STEM Academy, Kate Smith Elementary School, the three schools in Incline Village, and Smithridge Elementary School. 

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Washoe County School District’s promise is to know every student by name, strength and need so they graduate prepared for the future they choose, and we will deliver on this promise in partnership with our families and community.