Norwalk Superintendent Honored By STEM Leadership Alliance

NORWALK, CT — Superintendent Alexandra Estrella was honored by the STEM Leadership Alliance during its annual conference last month.

According to a news release provided by Norwalk Public Schools, Estrella was recognized for her "unwavering commitment and dedication to developing an integrative STEM culture that is preparing our next generation of leaders."

The STEM Leadership Alliance also invited Estrella to speak on a panel regarding how schools can open pathways to careers by connecting integrated STEM, career technical education and the role of artificial intelligence (AI).

"As we plan for the future, we know AI will be an inherent part of daily life," Estrella said in a news release, "and we need to prepare our scholars with the resources we have now to learn how to innovate, discover and reimagine so they can best utilize that technology however it may be implemented."

One of the key components of Norwalk Public Schools' strategic plan is the focus on preparing scholars to be future ready. To achieve this goal, the district is rethinking what is being taught and what our scholars are learning in the classroom so they are equipped with the critical analytical skills necessary to pivot in a rapidly advancing world, district officials said.

"When we think about what the work environment is going to look like when our kindergarteners graduate, the advancement is going to be so significant that it’s difficult to predict what tools and resources will be available to them when they enter the workforce," Estrella said. "As a result, we really have to reimagine what the classroom environment feels and looks like to better prepare and align students to the shifting demands that their workplace will encompass."

More information about the STEM Leadership Alliance is available at www.stemleadershipalliance.org.