The program engages students through the inquiry-based curriculum with its “hands-on, mind-on” experiential activities. They study Newton’s Laws and Bernoulli’s principle; explore nanotechnology, navigation and mapping. They are captivated by engineering as they use the computer to design space stations, all-terrain vehicles, and submersibles. Math is embedded throughout the curriculum and students use metric measurement, estimation, calculation geometry and data analysis to solve questions. Teamwork is stressed as they work together to explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate concepts.

The McCaw School of Mines’ is built on the campus of Gordon McCaw Elementary School. The McCaw School of Mines’ is known as the “Jewel of the Desert.” This simulated mine experience is where kids come together to learn about the history of mining and the importance of mining in Nevada. It’s a fun, hands on field trip experience open to fourth grade students throughout the valley and it is completely free to public school students.

In the William McCool Science Center, science is something fun that you can touch. see, taste,small, and experience. Instead of just learning from textbooks, students at Lamping also enjoy the excitement of hands-on science in the William McCool Science center. Students have access to a space shuttle simulator, well-equipped labs, paleontology dig area, greenhouse, computers, a kitchen, a planetarium and more.

The Rainforest Biosphere is a 3,200 -square-foot ecosystem representing the Amazon Rainforest. The students at Vanderburg have taken advantage of the hands-on environment to study the rain forest and its inhabitants. Teachers have developed curriculum for all of the key biosphere areas, the Mayan temple, the rain forest environment complete with vegetation, live animals, bones and an archaeology dig sites, an amphitheater, computer lab, and “grow” lab with plants and the students can work with and take home in recycled pots.

For more program details and scheduling, visit: https://www.vanderburges.com/copy-of-academics

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.