TWU has hand in STEM focus at Denton ISD

Sept. 3, 2025 — DENTON — Teachers watch students grow throughout the school year. This year, students at Little Elm’s new Hill Elementary are exploring a different kind of growth — from seed to harvest via a hydroponic garden tower donated by Texas Woman’s University.

Diana Elrod, PhD, who heads the Office of STEM Collaborations and Initiatives at TWU, has been building partnerships with Denton ISD campuses focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Among those campuses is Hill Elementary.

The School of Education’s STEM education representative Michaine Ashley, EdD, joined Elrod and Hill Elementary Principal Kascie Blough on Aug. 29 to deliver the hydroponic garden tower to a self-contained special education classroom at the school.

“TWU will inspire curiosity, build problem-solving skills, support Hill educators, and create a strong link between TWU and Denton ISD’s STEM initiative,” Elrod said. “This partnership advances TWU’s mission to foster inclusion, innovation and infrastructure in STEM education.”

The garden will provide engaging hands-on opportunities and experiential learning for Hill’s students while meeting a science requirement under the Texas Education Agency.

An opportunity to learn this way is highly impactful for Hill special education students who don’t often get the opportunity to experiment with plants and experience the outdoors in such a meaningful way, Ashley said.

“The nature of being a SPED (special education) self-contained classroom prevents them from being able to be outside, so this is a huge opportunity for them,” Ashley said.

Ashley will be leading a K-12 STEM Education micro-credential in Spring 2026.

“STEM education is more than just my research focus, it is my passion. I spent my entire career teaching in K-12 schools engaging students in hands-on, experiential learning in STEM,” Ashley said. “I am so grateful that Dr. Elrod invited me to assist with this project because it allowed me to get back into the K-12 classroom and help foster a love of STEM with the next generation of students.”

Page last updated 5:17 PM, September 3, 2025