STEM in Action: Hands-On Learning at CVA

Across grade levels, the Academy’s hands-on, inquiry-based approach reflects a deep commitment to academic excellence alongside athletic development. In the Middle School, science classes are alive with exploration. Seventh graders in Life Science roll up their sleeves to dissect chicken wings, gaining firsthand insight into how muscles, bones, and joints work together. In Physical Science, students make connections by building circuits and experimenting with electricity. Pendulum labs introduce motion and physics concepts through teamwork, curiosity, and problem-solving—often with plenty of laughter along the way.

As students move into the Upper School, CVA offers a robust and challenging selection of laboratory science courses. These information-intensive courses not only teach essential lab-based skills, but also emphasize the acquisition of study skills, designed to prepare student-athletes for the academic demands of challenging college courses and life beyond school. High school students engage in rigorous learning across multiple disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science, with opportunities to pursue Honors and Early College coursework that reflect the expectations of college-level STEM programs.

High School Science and Early College Opportunities

CVA’s science program offers a comprehensive progression of College Preparatory, Honors, and Early College courses, ensuring that every student, regardless of starting point, has access to challenging, lab-based science instruction. Courses include CP Earth Science; CP and Honors Biology I; Honors Early College Biology II; CP and Honors Early College Physics; CP and Honors Early College Chemistry; and CP Environmental Science. The College Preparatory level serves as the foundation for all science courses at CVA, with Honors and Early College options allowing students to further challenge themselves as they advance. Early College science courses are taught by faculty approved to deliver college-level instruction and offer students the opportunity to earn four college credits while preparing for demanding STEM pathways at the collegiate level.

The Biology courses at CVA have a molecular and cellular focus and are information-intensive, teaching students not only essential concepts about how organisms function and evolve, but also effective study skills for managing complex, content-heavy coursework—skills that will benefit them in college regardless of the path they choose. In these courses, students participate in advanced genomics laboratories, a rapidly growing field with applications in medicine, forensics, agriculture, and biotechnology. Students get the opportunity to utilize PCR, qPCR, and gel electrophoresis to analyze DNA and molecular data firsthand. Using these tools, students evaluate their own genotypes, explore forensic applications by creating DNA fingerprints, and assess simulated viral loads by detecting viral antigens in mock samples. Biology II students also investigate transgenics by creating bacteria that fluoresce after transformation with a jellyfish-derived gene.

Environmental Science is a lab-based elective that immerses students in ecological systems, sustainability, and environmental problem-solving. A centerpiece of the course is CVA’s aquaponics project, where students design, build, and maintain self-sustaining systems that raise Rainbow Trout while growing plants such as leafy greens and herbs—combining aquaculture and hydroponics into a closed-loop food system. The project is entirely student-driven. After learning core concepts, students take ownership of their systems throughout the year, navigating challenges that require critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration. The course emphasizes sustainable farming practices, nutrient cycling, and animal ethics, while reinforcing the idea that food systems are complex and interconnected. Students culminate the project by presenting their work to the school community in a poster presentation modeled after a science fair.

In the CVA Chemistry laboratory, students engage in a wide range of hands-on laboratory techniques and scientific processes that reinforce core chemical concepts and build practical skills. Students regularly practice accurate measurement, dimensional analysis, and proper use of significant figures, along with safe laboratory procedures, data collection techniques (conductivity probes, pH indicators, titration techniques), and critical analysis of data. Laboratory investigations include qualitative and quantitative analysis, such as identifying gases using limewater and pop tests, determining reaction products by mass, and exploring combustion ratios. Students apply solution chemistry through molarity calculations, titrations, conductivity testing, and solution preparation. Labs like "Measuring the Size of a Molecule" help connect atomic theory to understanding how scientific understanding is furthered by indirect observation. Experimental design is emphasized through investigations of reaction rates, equilibrium shifts using Le Châtelier’s Principle, surface tension, vapor pressure, periodic trends, and intermolecular forces. Across all units, students analyze data, balance equations, interpret graphs, and draw evidence-based conclusions, fostering critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and an understanding of how chemistry is studied experimentally.

Physics is a senior-level course that emphasizes mathematical application and experimental investigation alongside conceptual understanding. In the first half of the year, students study multiple units in mechanics to study motion.  Students engage in a variety of laboratory experiences exploring motion, including free fall, projectile motion, conservation of momentum, and conservation of energy. In addition to mechanics, students complete comprehensive units on waves, sound, and light, emphasizing conceptual understanding, rigorous mathematical analysis, and a hands-on laboratory investigation on the speed of sound. The course concludes with a study of electricity that integrates conceptual reasoning, quantitative problem-solving, and experimental work evaluating Ohm’s Law. 

From foundational experiments to advanced molecular biology and sustainable systems design, STEM at CVA challenges students to think deeply, work collaboratively, and apply their learning in meaningful ways. Students aren’t just studying science—they’re building the skills and curiosity that will serve them well in college and beyond.

Supporting Science, and So Much More
These high-quality laboratory experiences are made possible in part by the ongoing support of the CVA Parent Support Organization (PSO). Through annual fundraising efforts, the PSO provides critical supplemental funding for academic and cultural enrichment across campus. In the sciences, this support has enabled CVA to invest in professional-grade laboratory equipment, including thermocyclers, micropipettes, electrophoresis systems, and Vernier equipment and sensors, allowing students to work in small lab groups and engage directly with sophisticated scientific tools.