Blue Ridge Elementary and Jefferson High schools have implemented leading-edge meteorology systems from WeatherSTEM, that were donated by American Public University System (APUS).

WeatherSTEM is part of Ucompass, a Tallahassee- based software and services company supporting over three million students at more than 200 educational institutions, including APUS. The Web-based platform combines data from weather instruments, agricultural probes, Web cameras and other sensors, aligning with APUS’s own commitment to create immersive STEM education experiences featuring “Big Data” and programming.

“We are honored to support APUS’s outreach efforts in Jefferson County, where the program will help students assimilate live, real-world meteorological data into their science and math activities,” said WeatherSTEM president and founder, Ed Mansouri. “We believe these resources will benefit these schools and their surrounding communities for years to come, not just educationally but also through such public safety features as lightning and severe weather alerts.”

The long-standing relationship between APUS, Jefferson County Schools, and other state educational organizations includes several previous APUS donations of WeatherSTEM systems, in addition to ongoing contributions of school supplies and financial and staff volunteer support for the Education Alliance in Charleston.

The WeatherSTEM was installed at both Jefferson High and Blue Ridge Elementary on Nov. 15.

“This is an opportunity for young minds to fall in love with science and data,” said Susan Zigler, principal of Blue Ridge Elementary School. “These are the technological tools that bring a tremendous benefit to student learning and we are thankful for APUS and their support.”

“Understanding and appreciating weather is all part of enhancing STEM education at Jefferson High School. Different weather patterns can create conversations, centered on a variety of different educational disciplines,” said Sherry Ross, principal at Jefferson High School.