The SCASD has formed a summer STEM Academy, a new initiative that uses field and experiential instructional techniques to engage our students in STEM areas. The goal of this Academy is to improve the middle school to high school transition by engaging students early in their high school career with academic experiences of the highest caliber. Incoming first year high school students along with pre-service and master teachers will learn how to measure and monitor soil moisture, collect GPS data, install a weather station, and observe the hydrologic cycle through rain and groundwater simulation systems. Data collected from school premises will be compared to data streaming from the catchment to develop STEM curriculum modules, thus engaging students in relevant, project-based collaborative research.