A Hands-On Approach for All Ages
Students at Oakland Christian School see God’s amazing design through project-based learning and hands-on activities. STEM learning begins as early as Junior Kindergarten with the opportunity for Elementary students to study in our STEM classroom twice per week. Our curriculum offers a hands-on approach that teaches all age groups using an engineering process to solve problems.
Our Secondary School begins with an Introduction to STEM in 6th grade and concludes with a college-level Introduction to Engineering class in High School. Our curriculum helps to develop critical thinking skills which are essential in our rapidly changing world.
Secondary students explore the basic ideas of design using the engineering design process, 3D modeling and design, 3D printing, coding, robotics, the science of flight and space, the magic of electrons, and the science of nanotechnology.
Oakland Christian 4th–6th graders have the opportunity to question, tinker, experiment, and play like the natural scientists and engineers that they are! VEX competitions foster these skills and capitalize on the motivational effects of competitions and robotics to help all students identify as STEM learners.
Oakland Christian Robotics is a world-class competitor, qualifying for the VEX World Championships four times over the last five years. This prestigious event brings hundreds of the top VEX robotics teams together from around the world. OCS Robotics is the longest-running competitive season at the school where students meet nearly all year long to prepare for competitions. OCS Robotics has successfully made it to the Michigan State Championship over the last six years. The OCS Robotics teams have won over 40 awards at competitions, including 12 tournament championship awards and two distinguished awards at the State Championship. Robotics students have taken the skills they have learned to the university level. Several students have even qualified for significant scholarship opportunities.
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Middle School STEM invites students to step into the world of coding and digital creation. Using platforms like Code.org and MIT App Inventor, students learn how to design, build, and launch their own apps and interactive games.
Along the way, they explore graphic design, event driven programming, debugging, and algorithm creation using variables and conditional logic. As their skills grow, so does their confidence. Students bring their ideas to life through engaging projects that incorporate user interface design, media, and animation, transforming creativity into fully functioning digital experiences.
Principles of Engineering is where innovation comes to life. Through hands on challenges and real world problem solving, students explore mechanisms, structural strength, materials testing, and automation. They design, build, test, and refine as they discover how engineers think and work in a variety of fields.
Along the way, students strengthen their skills in research, collaboration, and presentation while carefully documenting each stage of the design process. Students also have the opportunity to take an end of course exam to earn recognition through Project Lead the Way and demonstrate their mastery of key engineering concepts.