Aug 11, 2016 By Harry Funk 3 min read

The title of Aileen Owens’ job, director of technology and innovation, is a clear indicator of where South Fayette Township School District was headed when she took the newly created administrative position in 2010.

“That was a bold move for the district at the time,” Billie Rondinelli, who joined the district as superintendent the previous year, said. “But I think having that position is part of what has helped to place us on the cutting edge.”

As South Fayette continues to focus on helping students become the innovators of tomorrow – with a particular emphasis on STEAM education, encompassing science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – the district has created another administrative post to advance the cause.

Stephanie DeLuca enters the new academic year as curriculum, technology and innovation coordinator, after serving as STEAM facilitator for third- through fifth-graders at South Fayette Intermediate School. She will work collaboratively with Owens and David Deramo, the former middle school principal who recently took over as assistant superintendent.

“I’m really excited to be able to look at STEAM and innovation from a district perspective at this point,” DeLuca said, “and how it fits within not just the STEAM classrooms, but also in the broader context of the learning that goes on here, and really give the students the best opportunity to learn.”

She is looking forward to working with the entire district.

“What’s great about STEAM and the innovation at South Fayette is that it’s not specific to one group of students,” she said. “Everyone gets this type of instruction. So I’ll get to reach every student, which is really wonderful.”

In that regard, she also will take a vital role in the district’s distinctive approach toward instruction, as Owens explained: “Strategically, we’re developing ecologies and pathways in computational thinking, computer science and engineering, and that’s traditionally not a piece that’s been included in education.”

South Fayette includes those types of subjects in the classroom curriculum and also encourages students to pursue them further on an extracurricular basis.

“Those are simply students who had a passion,” Owens said. “They come to us and say, ‘We’re interested in learning more.’ And we’re helping develop programs for them.”

The district also is looking to maximize the time students are able to spend in the STEAM studios at the various schools, with all teachers taking advantage of the opportunity.

“Actually, that has already begun and started to flourish,” Rondinelli explained. “But having Stephanie’s K-to-12 position, she will be able to go into classrooms and coach. And that will happen at all buildings.

“Also, with the high school alterations and additions projects,” the superintendent said, “one thing that we’re really hoping is that she will help to facilitate some of that training at the high school.”

As for DeLuca’s work with Deramo, she brings a strong background in developing educational programs, as she earned her supervisor of curriculum and instruction certification at Gannon University. One of her positions prior to South Fayette was serving as program developer at the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park in Regent Square.

A Robinson Township resident, DeLuca also has a master of education and principal K-12 certification from Gannon, and she earned her bachelor’s in education from Penn State, where she was a member of the Schreyer Honors College.