The IDOE announced in March that 88 schools across Indiana are certified as leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with Sunnyside being only one of seven of these schools earning recertification this year. Created in 2015, the STEM Certified Schools program recognizes schools focused on a commitment to teaching STEM disciplines beyond the classroom. STEM Certified Schools exemplify a highly non-traditional approach to education, employing a great deal of inquiry, project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, integration into humanities and related arts, and out-of-school STEM activities.