NASHUA – Members of the New Hampshire Board of Education found themselves at the Academy for Science and Design in Nashua on Wednesday for their monthly meeting.

The session began with a presentation from academy students in the school’s Center for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Invention.

The students greeted members of the board with a surprise musical performance. After, they took turns discussing their experiences at the school.

Academy Director Jennifer Cava also read to the board the school’s mission, which states, “Through our innovative STEM-focused program, the Academy for Science and Design fosters an environment that inspires, nurtures, and challenges every student; cultivating their individual abilities to lead advancements in science and technology, as well as to become thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged citizens.”

The main theme from the students was the school challenged them, pushed them outside their comfort zones and helped expand their horizons.

“Our community demonstrates compassion through our daily student and faculty advisories, civic engagement, pay-it-forward activities and our school-wide kindness campaign. I think that over the years, our student community has bonded together and really worked to use outreach,” Academy Assistant Director Jessica Golden added.

She also said school counselors and advisers are very involved in what students are doing, which she said allows students to feel a connection.

Psychology teacher Chris Marsh spoke of the school’s belief that teachers are also learners.

“Having habits of learning and leading by example are the ways of best practice. Besides, the students change, we change, the content changes, especially at a STEM school, so staying on top of the cutting edge is necessary if we are going to keep being applicable to the world after high school,” he said.

After the students’ presentations, Cava invited board members to tour the school.

Also on the agenda for the day was a presentation from Nashua Technology Center North Director Amanda Bastoni, photography and art educator Erin Knoetig, along with North students Grace Lehto, Rose Wakelin and Samantha Meredith.

This year, those in Nashua’s Career Technical Education Department developed a pilot program called Girls in STEAM, which focuses on encouraging young women to pursue interests in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art and math. A particular course uses drones.

Knoetig, who ran the pilot program this year and will be the instructor next year said she believed it was important for state officials to see how progress is being made.

“We are doing what we have said we are going to do and we followed through,” Knoetig said. “I want people to see the fact that we had to work hard to do it. It wasn’t an easy process, but perseverance gets you through all of it.”

Knoetig said Lehto, Meredith and Wakelin are the fruits of the labor.

In addition, Bastoni said officials wanted to come to this meeting because they want to achieve their goal of having Knoetig create curriculum for drones, which could be used across the state.

Earlier this year, Knoetig received her drone pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Bastoni said they have partnered with FAA National Aviation and Space Education Program Manager Jim Brough in support of this curriculum.

This was not the first time the students presented their experiences before a large group. The trio also presented a few months ago during a Nashua Board of Education meeting. Wakelin said she was planning to speak on the aspects they’ve learned outside of drones, such as photography, teamwork and communication.

Lehto said she found it really cool watching the course grow from just a pilot program.

Meredith said, despite enjoying science and math, she always believed technology was “super complicated and complex.” This idea changed, she said, once she discovered the drones were accessible to learn.

“I think the biggest take away is that you can do anything,” Meredith said. “If I can learn how to fly a drone, then I can branch out and learn other new things.”

Grace Pecci may be reached at 594-1243, or at gpecci@nashuatelegraph.com.