Forsyth Central High a State Education Award Finalist

The Technology Association of Georgia, the state’s leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia’s technology industry, today announced that Forsyth Central High School has been named as a finalist in the High School category for the 2013 Georgia STEM Education Awards.

The Georgia STEM Education Awards recognize schools, programs, and companies for outstanding efforts and achievements in supporting and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education in Georgia, according to the press release.

Forsyth Central High School’s STEM Academy is a merit-based program with strict application requirements and rigorous course plans. Students completing the STEM Academy program earn Advanced Placement credits, and are involved with internships with local industries and research universities during their senior year. They are also required to complete a GACTAE pathway in Biotechnology, Engineering or both. Additionally, Forsyth Central’s STEM Academy students are required to compete in co-curricular academic competitions including but not limited to Science Olympiad, Science Fair, BEST Robotics, MATE Robotics, and VEX Robotics, and also compete in a design challenge each fall. 

“It was truly a challenge for our judges to select the 2013 finalists from among more than 170 applicants from around Georgia,” said Michael Robertson, executive director of TAG Education Collaborative, in the release. “We must continue building a wave of activities that will prepare our students for the global workforce they will inherit, and we hope recognizing these organizations and their programs will raise awareness on the importance of STEM education for our state's economic future.”

This year’s Finalists were chosen in 8 different categories:

• Elementary School
• Middle School
• High School
• Post Secondary Outreach
• Extracurricular Program
• Best Use of Technology in Classroom or Program
• Corporate Outreach
• Best STEM Day Activity 

Winners in each category will be officially honored at The second-annual Georgia STEM Education Awards event set for Sept. 27.

“Recent Studies show that Georgia will need to fill approximately 211,000 STEM-related jobs by 2018,” said Tino Mantella, president and CEO of TAG. “The 2013 Georgia STEM Education Awards finalists are helping to prepare the tech-ready workforce to fill these jobs and we applaud them for standing out as leaders in Georgia’s educational community.”

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