Round Rock ISD, a member of the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, opened Joe Lee Johnson, the district’s first STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) academy in August 2016. The school is aligned with the district’s strategic plan, which centers on creating flexible programs and learning environments for 21st century learning.

“Every bit of learning that we do here happens around answering the question ‘Why?’” said principal Gabrielle Niño. “We want kids to approach the world as problem-solvers.”

Niño meets with officials from Google, Dell, and area hospitals to see what they would like to see in the workforce. She said the words often cited include “creativity,” “critical thinking,” “communication” and “collaboration.”

Read more as reported by the Austin American-Statesman.