About 31% of San Marin students are enrolled in the STEM Marin program. This program is currently home to 354 scholars, who follow an Engineering or Biotechnology pathway through high school. A decent number of the applicants that apply every year are from outside of the Novato Unified School District (NUSD).
Katie Stafford, STEM coordinator, explained how the application process invites prospering students from schools that aren’t in NUSD.
“For this incoming class, about 70% of the students are already in the NUSD district, but the remaining are coming from private schools or other districts,” Stafford said.
Students from other schools and districts are allowed to submit applications and interview for a spot in the STEM program. Then, if accepted, they have to apply for a district transfer into NUSD.
San Marin has many pull factors: an open campus, sports opportunities, and unique clubs. However, some students are drawn in from other school zones exclusively for the STEM program. Sophomore Disha Divakar, a Biotech student, is zoned to Novato High School, but attends San Marin instead, due to her motivation for a STEM related future.
“I’m definitely interested in pursuing something in the Biotech field, and it’s what I want for my career,” Divakar said. “If this program wasn’t offered here at San Marin, I would have probably ended up going to Novato High School.”
Students from neighboring districts are transferring into San Marin for its STEM program, increasing the overall student population and diversity of interests.
“If this program wasn’t offered here at San Marin, I would have probably ended up going to Novato High School.”
– Disha Divakar
Sophomore
A key component to the success of the program relies on the variety of students in the specialized STEM classes. Stafford said that as the STEM Marin program grows over time, the prospective number of classes offered for Engineering and Biotechnology pathways has been able to increase.
“The program has been growing each year, and we have done our best to add additional units to meet the interest students have in these pathways. We had over 100 additional applications this year compared to last year,” Stafford said.
Stafford feels it is particularly important that STEM classrooms remain diverse and inclusive.
“When I go out into the community in the fall to talk about the STEM program to parents and students, one of my consistent messages is to make sure that everyone feels they belong here,” Stafford said. “That we offer a welcoming and safe place to learn for all students.”
