STEAM philosophy is rooted in the idea of “failing fast,” creating a prototype, trying it out, finding the flaws, refining the idea, and trying it again. Flintridge Prep’s program aims to give students the tools—both intellectual and practical—to make their ideas a reality on campus and beyond.
Flintridge Prep’s STEAM program reaches all kinds of students throughout their time at Flintridge Prep, in both curricular and extracurricular elements.
Students who identify as creative are drawn in by the art and are exposed to technical fields; students who identify as scientists or mathematicians can discover the creativity inherent in their work. It helps kids break out of the pigeonholes they assign themselves, even at a young age. By applying knowledge from one field to another, you can often make a bigger leap.”
Shane Frewen, Flintridge Prep's STEAM Coordinator, Math & Science Teacher
In the Classroom
In the classroom, teachers design assignments to encourage students to work on long-term projects that span the science, math, and arts curriculum. Here are just a few examples.
Geometry
Geometry students in Ms. Gee's class work with art teacher Ms. Manfull to apply their learning and understanding about geometric arabesques to create prints inspired by tessellations found in Islamic art.
Tessellations are repeating patterns that make a larger, overall pattern and are a hallmark of Islamic art.
Design Thinking
All 7th graders take Design Thinking, taught by Makerspace Coordinator Ms. Goodwin. Once a week, for 77 minutes, they tackle problems using step-by-step methods that encourage interaction, creativity, and failure.
From solving classic puzzles to working out the steps to finding an apartment to building a robot, small teams work together to develop prototyping skills and life skills the first year they enter Flintridge Prep.
Los Angeles Museum of Geography
Seventh graders use tools in the Makerspace to create displays for their Los Angeles Museum of Geography, translating research into giant jigsaw maps, scale models, and graphs of information.
In the first semester, they learn from their mistakes; by the second semester they are confident designers. Seasoned 8th graders pass on their institutional knowledge to their younger peers, and the process is refined further.
There are three big things that I love about robotics. First, it's the collaboration between different age groups. I'm collaborating with everyone from middle schoolers to seniors. Second, I enjoy engineering, and robotics allows me to dedicate myself to that. Third is the opportunity for leadership. I help educate and guide a team."
Aurix Hong ’26, robotics team
STEAM Clubs & Activities
We offer many opportunities for students to take their passion for STEAM beyond the classroom.
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STEAM
Our STEAM program engages students and faculty in iterative design, student-driven discovery, and interdisciplinary innovation by providing the tools to tinker and explore, empowering students to forge creative solutions to real-world problems both in and out of the classroom through an integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math.