Blackhawk School District prepares students for the challenges of their future by empowering them with the tools, skills and knowledge needed to be successful members of society.
The District is located in the northwestern part of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses the communities of Chippewa Township, Darlington Borough, Darlington Township, Enon Valley Borough, (Lawrence County), Patterson Heights, Patterson Township, South Beaver Township and West Mayfield Borough. Over 17,000 people live in the 65 square miles of the district. Blackhawk School District is suburban and rural in nature. Because Beaver County is situated between Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio, county residents can easily avail themselves of the cultural opportunities found in larger cities, while residing in a small community atmosphere. Since the Fall of 2012,Blackhawk School District has been part of a transformation in the way education is delivered at Blackhawk. With a focus on STEAM education across the district, teachers work to introduce real world problems and professional partnerships with various businesses into more classes. Various grants for new rapid prototyping equipment transformed the spaces and how students are learning.
Primary & Elementary Schools
In Grades K-5 every student participates in a STEAM rotation in the STEAM lab which is essentially a science lab that focuses on using hands on materials to learn about or our world and to design solutions to real world challenges. Each science unit uses the different parts of STEAMevery day, but each day of the unit will focus on a particular part. The Science focus involves learning how our world works through a variety of media. The Technology focus has 2 parts: First, students will be looking into the progress human have made in dealing with the current topic, Second, students will use the classroom technology to study each topic further and complete projects based on science careers. The Engineering focus has students using what they have learned to explore different solutions to real world problems using hands -on materials and modeling. The Art focus deals with the development of critical thinking in problem solving, cultural understanding and awareness, and creative experiences and expression for the purpose of cultivating a lifelong appreciation of the arts. The Math focus centers on tracking our progress in each experiment and measuring the effect of each variable we test.
Middle & Intermediate Schools
At Blackhawk Middle School, STEAM Nights are an annual event that brings the community into the middle school. Students and parents participate in Hands-On STEAM Activities focusing on technology, science, engineering, math, and art. Sessions are led by HMS teachers and instructors from the BCCTC. IN addition to the STEAM class, students in grades 6-8 participate in computer courses, Technology Education courses, and family and Consumer Science.
High School
Blackhawk High School students are taking the lead on their education and taking ownership of their learning and their environment. With the addition of the C3 (Create Collaborate, and Compete) Lab in 2012, maker equipment in the library and transformation of other traditional classrooms in the building to computer labs students have access to technology that they need to improve their learning. Because of that many student – lead projects are transforming the school environment every day. Classroom projects are in many content areas are partnering with local business and organizations to bring real world examples to the students to help the answer the lifelong questions of students “When am I going to use this outside of school?”. CTSO organizations at Blackhawk like FFA (Future Farmers of America) and TSA (Technology Student Association) allow the students to take their knowledge out of the classroom and compete against schools from around the country.
