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Diversity in STEM
EntryPoint! places students with disabilities on STEM tracks (Science Magazine)
In the 10 weeks that Rose Buchmann worked at The Mayo Clinic this summer, the college junior got a chance to try out new lab techniques and learn more about what a full-time career in science looks like. The internship, arranged by AAAS's EntryPoint! program, also gave Buchmann a chance to make lasting connections with the people she hopes will be her future colleagues. Buchmann is one of 27 students who worked as 2015 EntryPoint! interns at places like NASA, Georgia Tech, and Johns Hopkins University. Launched in 1996, the historic AAAS program has recruited students with disabilities who are studying [STEM]..
Bennett College awarded $400,000 grant to boost STEM course enrollment (Greensboro News & Record)
A $400,000 grant will help Bennett College how to motivate students to pursue math and science careers. The college announced today that it received the grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the organization's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program. The grant seeks to enhance the quality of undergraduate education and research in [STEM] at HBCUs as a means to broaden participation in the nations STEM workforce. Through the grant, Bennett College will examine the impact of four academic program interventions: Mandatory tutoring for students with a grade of C or lower in any STEM course..
Welcome to Include 2.0, TechCrunchs Diversity Program (TechCrunch)
In June of 2014, TechCrunch launched Include, a program designed to direct TechCrunchs resources to improve diversity in the startup community. In year one, our approach was simple. The headliner was a $50k grant to support an organization making strides in line with Includes mission. The recipient last year was Black Girls Code, a wonderful non-profit run by Kimberly Bryant to introduce girls of color to technology through workshops and after school programs. Today, were announcing Include 2.0, an expanded series of initiatives that will deepen our efforts around inclusion and extend them beyond Silicon Valley.
Missouri S&T joins initiative to increase engineering diversity (Missouri S&T)
As one of the most diverse student bodies in the history of Missouri University of Science and Technology begins a new semester, the university has joined a national effort to help bring even more diversity to engineering nationwide. Dr. Ian Ferguson, vice provost and dean of Missouri S&Ts College of Engineering and Computing, recently joined leaders from over 130 other schools and colleges of engineering in a commitment to provide greater opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups to pursue engineering careers. The pledge signed by Ferguson and his counterparts was coordinated through the American Society for Engineering Education. 
K-12 Education
ACES celebrates new STEM program (The Tennessean)
Ashland City Elementary School is excited to offer a new STEM program this school year. To kick off this initiative and to recognize the important role that women play in STEM fields, the school hosted a special event on Aug. 20, which featured Miss Tennessee (Hannah Robison), John Hall (professor of agricultural sciences at Tennessee State University) and Kristin McQueen (STEM teacher at Ashland City Elementary School). According to principal Chip Roney, the STEM program is part of the schools special class offerings. Each child will participate in STEM class for 45 minutes each day for six weeks.
Red Oak ISD expands STEM learning with $35,000 grant (Waxahachie Daily Light)
As students start school this week, Red Oak ISD will be expanding their STEM curriculum opportunities. Though Red Oak has had a STEM program for about 10 years, a $35,000 Project Lead the Way grant will take [STEM] learning to a new level for the district's high school students starting this fall. Project Lead the Way is the nation's leading provider for kindergarten through 12th grade STEM programs, according to a Red Oak ISD press release about the grant. We try to add to it a little bit every year to try and make sure what the students are interested in is what we try to offer, said Scott Niven, Red Oak ISD superintendent.
Higher Education
NIMBioS receives NSF grant to assess student learning in mathematics (Eureka Alert)
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis has been awarded a two-year, $299,990 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new tool to assess whether using real-world biology examples in college-level mathematics courses enhances student understanding of quantitative concepts. In recent years, education reformers have pushed for integrating science and mathematics curricula, suggesting that students are more likely to understand quantitative concepts presented with real-world problems, especially for students interested in careers in the life sciences.
Science professors receive grant for more variety in STEM study (University of North Georgia)
Students majoring in [STEM] fields at the University of North Georgia (UNG) will soon get a better look at how closely related these fields are thanks to a $24,729 state grant to support study across STEM subjects. The proposal, "Cultivating a Community of STEM Polymaths at the University of North Georgia," aims to increase graduation rates of students in STEM disciplines at UNG by further developing their skills in areas related to their majors as well as in problem-solving, critical thinking and communication. A polymath is defined as a person who has a great deal of knowledge across a wide variety of subjects..
STEM-H scholarships, programs expand (GoDanRiver.com)
New scholarship opportunities await Danville Community College students who choose majors in [STEM] and Health (STEM-H) fields. The increase in the number of scholarships reflects the career placement potential for these graduates. Students interested in a career in a STEM-H field should apply now for scholarships. The DCC Educational Foundation has been very fortunate in that during and since the conclusion of the Power of One Major Gifts Campaign, additional STEM-H scholarships have been created by local businesses, individuals, and civic groups to fund educational opportunities for our students, says Shannon Hair, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Development, and Executive Director of the DCC Educational Foundation.
Nebraska
Nebraska Test Scores Show Progress in Reading, Writing, Math (AP)
Nebraska public school students showed improvement on this year's statewide proficiency tests in reading, writing and math, but held steady in science. The state Department of Education released its results Tuesday from the annual Nebraska State Accountability exams. The report says 80 percent of students were deemed proficient this year, up from 77 percent in 2014. In math, 72 percent of students were proficient compared to 71 percent the previous year. Science scores were unchanged, with 72 percent of students considered proficient.
West Virginia
ACT test-takers improve in English, struggle in math, science in W.Va. (West Virginia MetroNews)
High school graduates in West Virginia are improving their English and reading skills, but are still struggling in math and science, according to the 2015 ACT scores released Wednesday. The states composite score increased from 20.6 in 2014 to 20.8 this year. The national score stayed at 21.0. The average English score in West Virginia was 20.6, reading: 21.5, math: 19.7 and science: 20.7. We still have work to do to ensure our high-school graduates are equipped with college and career ready skills, but I am proud of the progress made by our teachers, students and parents, said State School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano in a news release.
STEM Food & Ag
WIU Student, JWCC Student Chosen for Elite Team of National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassadors; Students Will Serve to Educate Public about Ag Industry This Fall (Western Illinois)
 It will be a busy Fall 2015 for Leslie Borries (Tuscola, IL), a senior at Western Illinois University, and Dusti Irwin (Quincy, IL), a sophomore at John Wood Community College. In June, both students began their roles as National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassadors. Last spring, they were each selected for the opportunity through the National FFA Organization's ambassador program. In addition to tending to their college studies in agricultural education this fall, both will be putting in hours to educate the public about the agriculture industry. In June, Borries and Irwin completed training for the national programfor which only 20 other students across the U.S. were chosenand next month, both will complete a second training session. After their training in September, Borries and Irwin will give presentations and facilitate workshops to audiences interested in learning more about agriculture, according to the National FFA website. |
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 STEMconnector®
Back-to-school boost: Duke Energy awards $3 million in education grants
 Students and teachers are getting a back-to-school boost through grants totaling $3 million to more than 50 schools and educational organizations in North Carolina. The grants, from the Duke Energy Foundation, will enhance programs and initiatives focused on childhood reading proficiency, along with [STEM]. The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $865,000 to childhood literacy programs aimed at closing the achievement gap and ending the cycle of poverty that often separates low-income students from their peers. The remaining $2.17 million supports STEM initiatives that provide real-world relevancy and engaging experiences to prepare students to enter math and engineering career fields. Three recipients include NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning, Communities In Schools of North Carolina, and Teach for America.
Watch, Re-Watch or Share our TownHall on Game-Based STEM Learning w/ MIND Research Institute!
 Thank you to everyone who joined us today for out STEM Town Hall: Leveraging Game-Based Learning to Increase STEM Engagement hosted with the MIND Research Institute. We'd especially like to thank our excellent speakers: Eileen Buckley (Youth Education Advocate with PwC), Shannon Duncan (6th Grade STEM Teacher with Orange County Unified), Kedar and Uma (Programming Mom and Son with Little Code Ninja), Nigel Nisbet (VP of Content Creation with MIND), Greg Toppo (Education Reporter with USA Today), and Jemma (K-12 Game-a-thon winner). Click the link to head to our YouTube page, where you can check out all of our TownHall videos!
Visualizations the Focus of New Earth Science Week Site
 Science teachers and students can go online today to use a new educational resource of the Earth Science Week website, the "Visualizing Earth Systems" page, which features instructive visualizations of Earth science phenomena. Educators know the power of compelling visualizations, those that graphically depict data in ways that help students grasp challenging concepts. Now Earth science teachers have a collection of such visualizations, right at their fingertips. Supporting the Earth Science Week 2015 theme of "Visualizing Earth Systems," this new page on the program website links educators and students to dozens of recommended visualizations dealing with energy, climate, minerals, water, hazards, and other topics. Earth Science Week 2015 will be celebrated October 11-17.
Marina Stenos: Game On! Why figuring out game-based learning matters now more than ever
 Whether its the fight over higher standards, assessments, school choice or teacher quality, national opinions are fraught with the emotional load of parental and societal concerns that we do right by our children. Education, once the mom and apple pie of bipartisan collaboration, has become a battleground of politics and privilege, which is to say nothing of the disruption technology has brought into our nations classrooms over the past decadesaccelerating disparities of access and equity; deepening the divide between the haves and have nots; and raising the specters of cybersecurity and data privacy for even the youngest learners. |
