The best way to learn about science is to actually do it. From the time they enter DK until they walk out the green doors as high school grads, Laker students are awarded with countless hands on science projects.  Students become scientists as they conduct experiments, develop and test hypotheses, problem solve and work as teams.  Many Laker science endeavors tie in math, engineering and technology.  Lakers has world-class education down to a science!

The Laker Innovation Center is a one-of-a-kind facility within Laker High School that offers state-of-the-art equipment and opportunities for STEM learning. The goal of the Innovation Center is to sharpen students’ skills in areas that are important to employers, such as teamwork and problem solving. Middle and high school students get hands-on training every day in this open-space facility that fosters students’ excitement to invest in their learning. Click Here to visit the Lakers Innovation Center webpage.

For seniors who excel in science and want to pursue it as a career, Laker High School offers a one-of-a-kind scholarship opportunity – The Hueschen Scholarship. Recipients of this prestigious scholarship receive four years at Michigan State University in a science program, with tuition, room and board paid for. No other school offers this tremendous award. Click HERE for a brochure about this awesome scholarship.

Science Olympiad is an extracurricular educational program with a mission to inspire the next generation of scientists, health professionals and engineers. Students have the opportunity to explore topics that often they would not experience in their normal school day. For some activities, the experience is very “hands-on”, as students create designs, solve problems and learn the importance of teamwork.  Most Science Olympiad activities culminate in a tournament, which adds the excitement of competition.

 

Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division. Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation.

Along with VEX Robotics teams that compete against other schools, Laker Schools offers VEX Robotics classes in junior high. Students use VEX robotics kits to build and program robots to perform specific functions. VEX Robotics encourages creative problem solving in a STEM environment. The kits allow for multiple options for building the robots. Students gain a true sense of accomplishment when they see their finished robot performing the tasks it’s programmed to do. It’s like scoring the winning touchdown.

Starting in eighth grade, Laker students can take agriculture science classes, which includes participation in the FFA. Ag education is about more than “cows, plows and sows” – it’s much more. Learning about ag science develops an appreciation for natural resources, the environment, nutrition, food production, and how agriculture fits into society. Once they each Advanced Ag, students can select what projects they want to work on, with guidance from agriscience teaching staff. Students learn to see the “big picture” in agriculture and how important it is to everyone’s life, not just producers. Ag science also helps students more thoroughly understand other types of sciences. In the Thumb area, where agriculture surrounds the small towns and benefits each community in many ways, agriculture science is extremely important.

In 2023, the FIRST Robotics program was revived, and students in the Mechatronics class built and programmed a robot to compete at FIRST Robotics competitions. The Laker team did very well in its first season back in action. The robot needed to perform specific tasks during a given amount of time, and success depended on the skills of the robot operators (the students) and how well the robot was constructed. In its first competition, the Laker team was runner-up in the championship round and even won the Rookie Inspiration Award! Not bad at all for a comeback year! The future is bright for the FIRST Robotics team!

Laker Middle School and High School offer a large variety of science opportunities. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders enjoy many hands-on learning activities in their science classes. Sixth and seventh graders also take engineering and robotics classes that teach fundamental skills to help prepare them for higher-level classes. These classes take place in the Innovation Center.

In high school, Laker students have even more awesome science opportunities with classes such as biology, chemistry, physical science, human body, anatomy, engineering and design, forensic science, physics, lab science, computer science/coding and more. A college-level science lab allows students to conduct a variety of experiments that bring scientific concepts to life. The Innovation Center, a spacious STEM-focused learning lab finished in 2019, offers enrichment in science, technology, engineering and math, with classes such as Mechatronics. With all of these state-of-the-art learning opportunities, the sky is the limit with what students can achieve.

In Spring 2013, a group of Laker middle student scientists was told their health-focused science experiment was chosen to go into space to the International Space Station. Their microgravity experiment was chosen out of thousands of experiments submitted for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). See more about this exciting achievement by clicking on this link VIEW Student Spaceflight Experiments Program VIDEO HERE