Building Minds. Cultivating Community.

Mission

The Clavius Project at St. Louis University High trains, mentors and inspires urban middle school students in STEM-related areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), thus addressing a critical need of the community that lacks competently trained professionals in these key disciplines, particularly in underserved areas of the city.

About

The Clavius Project began in 2014 as a collaboration among students, faculty and staff to bring education in STEM to city Catholic schools. Named after Christopher Clavius—a German Jesuit mathematician and astronomer responsible for the Gregorian Calendar as well as the first in the Church to confirm his former student Galileo's Heliocentric Theory of the universe—the program has achieved considerable success and momentum in just a short period of time.

SLUH’s Robotics Club has partnered with selected Catholic middle schools in the city and surrounding underserved areas to offer robotics training in the STEM subject areas. In addition to providing Lego® Mindstorm® EV3 robot kits and software, the school’s outreach robotics program incorporates an initial workshop for using the kits and the programming software, followed by four to six sessions to assist staff and students in successfully developing the robotics curriculum and after-school activity at each middle school. For more information, visit our website at claviusproject.com

Vision

The Clavius Project, sensitive to a growing need, provides the opportunity for young students particularly in underserved areas of the community to engage and pursue their interest in STEM. Simultaneously, it instills confidence in Jr. Bills to become mentors as well as leaders and role models in their collaboration with the middle school students.

Looking ahead, SLUH plans to continue its outreach efforts with city middle schools, while also exploring untapped opportunities in areas such as summer camps, financial assistance for select students, alumni and parent involvement, curriculum development, expansion of service offerings for Jr. Bills, collaboration with other city high schools, and partnerships with such organizations as the Archdiocese of St. Louis, URBANFuture and Ranken Technical College.

Just as Christopher Clavius pursued his own passion of mathematics and astronomy with rigor and great care more than 400 years ago, SLUH carries on his spirit today by engaging the mindset and intellect of young students through the Clavius Project, ever faithful to the Jesuit tradition of service to the community.
 

Support

Thanks to the incredible generosity from those who have supported the Clavius Project since its inception, including Dede and Jeff Pitts, and Kathleen and Paul Matecki ’74 from St. Pete Beach, Florida, as well as the following organizations.

 

Moderator

Mr. Jeff Pitts
jeffpitts58@gmail.com or (314) 713-5970