2016
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NBRS Badge for Challenger Intermediate School

Challenger Intermediate School - Goddard, KS

Challenger students taking part in the flag salute before field day.

Challenger students taking part in the flag salute before field day.

Challenger Intermediate School in Goddard, Kansas serves 420 students in the fifth and sixth grade with a focus on building strong, positive relationships with every student. There is also a focus on innovative science technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities with hands-on Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum. Challenger has always had a strong sense of tradition and innovation.

Challenger is a close-knit community which maintains a family-type environment for all students. Capturing Kids' Hearts is a tradition dedicated to developing safe, trusting relationships between students and staff. Staff greet students with a handshake and a personal affirmation every day. At the beginning of the year, teachers empower their students to create a social contract as a classroom based on positive character traits and are held accountable to follow those principles.

One innovation that has empowered our students academically is implementing PLTW, a STEM based interdisciplinary curriculum. This gives every student the unique opportunity to engage in hands-on activities by learning how to code computers, study diseases, and collaborate with peers to build and program robots. This partnership program with Wichita State University instills a passion for engineering in students and opens the door to future STEM-related careers.

At Challenger, we believe academic success and emotional stability are interdependent. We nurture life-long relationships through strong character development and academics. Together, we cultivate a culture of excellence and support for every student because all parties within our school community are meaningfully engaged.

2016 Awardee

Challenger Intermediate School

325 North Walnut Street
Goddard, KS, 67052-9548

(316) 794-4040

Principal at time of Nomination:
Jess Herbig

Goddard Schools USD 265

Suburban

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Mission

Challenger's mission is to develop a well rounded student academically, socially, and emotionally using character traits as a guidance.

Student Demographics

  • Asian: 3%
  • Black/African American: 1%
  • Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1%
  • Hispanic: 11%
  • Native American: 1%
  • White: 81%
  • Two or more races: 2%
  • ELL: 7%
  • Economically Disadvantaged: 34%
  • Application