Riverwalk STEM Academy @ Just Elementary “Where kids get a scientific start.”

Riverwalk STEM Academy is located near downtown Tampa in the West River area along the Tampa Riverwalk. As a STEM attractor, STEM learning is imbedded in every academic area. Our school mascot is the Jaguars, and our vision  is to give students a “scientific start” as lifelong learners who positively impact our community. We offer students a robotics and engineering lab, makerspace lab with flexible seating, and STEM integration in every classroom using LEGO’s, coding mice, 3-D printers, and other STEM tools.

Our school  is honored to have participated in various STEM initiatives including the 2020 National Smithsonian STEM Education Summit. Our academic offerings include robotics club, engineering club, chess club, Seedfolk gardening club, and computer coding club. We focus on providing our students with hands-on STEM learning experiences throughout their academic day as we prepare students for life.

Ernest Everett Just (August 14, 1883 – October 27, 1941) was a pioneering African American biologist, academic and science writer. Just’s primary  legacy is his recognition of the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organisms. In his work within marine biology, cytology and parthenogenesis, he advocated the study of whole cells under normal conditions, rather than simply breaking them apart in a laboratory setting. In addition to his scientific contributions, On November 17, 1911, Ernest E. Just assisted three Howard students in establishing Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Originally a Junior High School that opened to relieve overcrowding at nearby Blake High School, Just had subsequently been used as a Headstart and 6th Grade Center, and then as an Early Childhood Center, serving      preschool, Headstart, and Kindergarten children, until its closing in 2003. In 2003, construction began on a new Elementary School that would, for the first time in 30 years, provide services to the students from its community.

On August 5, 2004, Ernest E. Just Elementary opened its doors to a student population that quickly rose to over 650 children. The staff at Just is striving to provide each and every student with an education and sense of self-worth that will carry them well beyond the education system. Carrying the torch in a legacy that began with our namesake is a challenge that enriches not only the students and staff of Ernest E. Just Elementary, but also the community and beyond.