INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Every month, WISH-TV highlights a local school district with “The Morning Bell,” a conversation focused on new or exciting programs and accomplishments within Indiana schools.

On Tuesday, News 8 featured the new Girls IN STEM Academy that recently opened in Indianapolis. Principal Chrystal Westerhaus joined Daybreak along with Danielle Shockey, the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, a partner with the school.

“This school is really open to address a need that we saw in our community. Only 10% of females currently attending Indiana’s public universities are getting degrees in STEM and that’s something we really wanted to address and make more equitable,” Westerhaus said.

Girls IN STEM Academy is a new, all-girls public school for grades K-8 opening on the near northwest side of Indianapolis. It is operated by Paramount Schools of Excellence in partnership with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, Every Girl Can STEM™, and Purdue Polytechnic High School.

“We believe and research shows that all-girls schools build confidence and confidence in STEM is really important so that girls know that they can do all things and that STEM is one of those things,” Westerhaus said.

According to the school, girls form math or science identities by age 7. They are underrepresented in the college pipeline and careers in STEM fields, but STEM fields are the fastest growing.

Paramount School Cottage, the school’s home location, is the academic partner for Girls IN STEM Academy. It was recently named one of 16 Indiana Blue Ribbon schools, the only public school from Indianapolis to make the list.The Girls IN STEM Academy is utilizing the same model for core classroom instruction, with the infusion of STEM during and after school.

“Every student is getting that same curriculum. But in addition to that, is getting an extra dose of STEM and a STEM elective that they attend each day,” Westerhaus said. “Hands-on and curiosity-driven experiences that the girls are getting and all of those things – in science, technology, engineering and math.”

The school is temporarily located at Hasten Hebrew Academy at 6602 Hoover Rd. in Indianapolis, while its permanent location near 51^st Street and Michigan Road is under construction.

The Girl Scouts of Central Indiana is a program partner, bringing the wealth of STEM badges and the life skills curriculum.

“Girl Scouts has four pillars, one of them being STEM. So we have over 100 badges in STEM fields from engineering coders, coding, cybersecurity, and auto racing. So our partnership really is twofold. One, it is she mentioned character, that is a character pillar, life skills in Girl Scouts – as well as the STEM areas of focus. So we’re bringing that program content to integrate and infuse into the school day,” Shockey said.

At times the girls from the school will travel to the Girl Scouts campus, which is a STEM campus, to further their education. This Friday the students are taking a field trip to learn about auto racing.

“We’re partnering with SIM for STEM, where they’ll learn about auto racing. So it’s a variety of things. And in Girl Scouts, what we love is there are pathways for every girl from aviation to really the arts in STEM – mathematics, science in the outdoors. So again, they can really pick the badges. But at the school level, they’re looking at doing it both during the school day and after school in troop experiences,” Shockey said.

Students can still enroll for the school and satellite transportation sites are now available to help get students to and from school.