Recognizing That All Students Have the Capacity To Learn and Benefit from STEM Education in Delaware

Friends and Colleagues,

We recognize how important it is to capture and share stories about our evolving progress in STEM equity in the classroom and the ways we are working together to build systems and break down barriers. DFSME understands that focusing on STEM Equity fosters an inclusive learning environment, aspirational thinking, and effective pathways to student success and wealth creation.

The engineers, technicians, and innovation leaders of the future reflect the learning environment in which they were inspired. In Delaware, we are fortunate to have an education ecosystem that embraces the passion and dedication of our teachers who work every day to create that “spark” for students, triggering the creative wonder to explore. From this, student opportunity is formed – regardless of race, gender, or background – towards an inspired future and a better world for all. 

During the Equity session on Oct. 15, you will hear stories from executives at major Delaware companies talk about their journeys, the importance of a diverse STEM workforce, and the opportunities for students to work and thrive in Delaware.

- Patrick McCrummen

Global Leader, Community Impact, DuPont

We hope you enjoy this Edition!

Register Now! October 14-15

4th Annual Delaware Math & STEM Equity Conferences

October 14

FREE*! Virtual Math Equity Conference

Statewide In-Service: Delaware Equity Summit

*FREE for Delaware Educators and Community Members

Professional Learning Dedicated to Equity in Math

"Cultivating & Promoting Equitable Climates of Learning"

Building on the momentum of the national level mathematics conferences in California, this month, leaders of the Delaware Mathematics Coalition, Delaware Department of Education, Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, Delaware STEM Council, and FAME host the annual Delaware Mathematics & STEM Equity Conferences. K-12 and post-secondary educators in the state are invited to join us for two meaningful days of learning experiences related to our goal of promoting more equitable systems of instruction for students in Delaware STEM classrooms.

Featured speakers: Tanji Reed Marshall (Ed Trust), Jo Boaler (Stanford University), Pamela Jones Seda (Co-author of "Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom"), Steve Leinwand (AIR), Eli Luberoff (Desmos), Mandy Jansen (UD), and many other inspiring leaders of math reform!

Thank You Event Sponsors!

October 15

FREE*! Virtual STEM Equity Conference

“What Does STEM Equity Success Look Like?”

*FREE for Delaware Educators and Community Members

On Saturday October 15, stakeholders from the state are invited to join us for the Delaware STEM Equity Conference. The virtual conference is focused on sharing STEM equity success stories and exploring ways to address ongoing barriers to success in Delaware schools.

Featured Speakers: Bethany Hall-Long (Lt. Governor, State of DE), Daniel Suchenski (DE STEM Council), Bruce Alberts (Behind the Call to Action in Science), Freeman Hrabowski, (President Emeritus, UMBC), Luke Rhine (Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education, Office of CTE), Bassam Shakhashiri (Science is Fun), Tonyea Mead (DDOE), Milton Muldrow (Wilmington University), Tina Mitchell (DSU), Alexa Dembek (DuPont), Carolmarie Brown (Ashland), Jon Wickert (DDOE), Andrea Garner (Discovery Education), Melissa Tracy (Odyssey Charter School), Matt Grabill (OpenSciEd),

Regina Sydney-Brown (DE Afterschool Network), and other passionate leaders of equity in STEM.

Please join hosts Delaware Mathematics Coalition, Delaware Department of Education, Delaware Foundation

for Science and Mathematics Education, Delaware STEM Council, and FAME.

Thank You Event Sponsors!

U.S. Secretary of Education, Miquel Cardona, is joined by the Delaware Congressional Delegation to talk with students at Eisenberg Elementary during a lesson. Photo courtesy Quinn Kirkpatrick, Delaware Public Media.

U.S. Secretary of Education Visits the First State 

to Announce New Funding for Schools

Colonial School District’s Eisenberg Elementary, the first elementary school in the state to open a wellness center with integrated mental health supports, hosted a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

To kick off the event, Cardona announced $4.8 million dollars of new federal funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to support healthier learning environments in Delaware.

The roundtable brought parents, educators, health professionals, and state and local officials together to discuss issues such as increasing student mental health literacy and addressing the state’s education and healthcare worker shortages. Cardona says Delaware’s collaborative approach should be more widespread.

A portion of the funding Delaware received will go toward helping schools provide mental health resources to students K-12.

To read the full Delaware Public Media article by Quinn Kirkpatrick, click here. 

Karen Eller is this month’s recipient of the DFSME Shining Light Award for her innovative and inspiring approach to teaching. Pictured (L-R) are Sheryl Murphy, Christina School District K-12 Science Curriculum Specialist;

PJ Simon, DFSME Board Member; Karen Eller, Middle School Science Teacher, The Bancroft School; Randy Guschl, DFSME Executive Director; and Krystal Greenfield, Campus Leader, The Bancroft School.

DFSME’s October “Shining Light Award”

Honors Karen Eller, Middle School Science Educator

October's Shining Light Award honors Karen Eller, Middle School Science Educator at The Bancroft School, Christina School District. Among her many accomplishments, Karen installed a classroom hydroponic garden last year with her 4th grade students. She is now bringing the in-classroom garden experience to her middle school students, showing them how to grow and harvest food, including fresh leafy greens, in an exciting and sustainable way. This inventive program is helping students understand how to embrace new technology and solve problems with big ideas in a local space.

Last Spring, Karen worked directly with Learning Undefeated, through funding from AstraZeneca, to bring middle school students at Bancroft in-classroom chemistry labs and the Drop Anywhere Lab for a weeklong on-board gaming, hands-on, and virtual science experience for students.

Karen is a 2020 and 2022 State of Delaware nominee for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the highest recognition that K-12 STEM teachers may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. She is also NGSS Science Chair, Middle School Athletic Director, and serves as her school's McKinney-Vento Advocate and Liaison. She was the Bancroft Teacher of the Year in 2014 and 2021 and was a District finalist for the Christina School District Teacher of the Year in both 2014 and 2021. She was recently nominated for the 2022 Rookie of the Year Gould Award with the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition. Among other commitments of choice, she serves on Action for Delaware’s Children and she is engaged with lawmakers on topics critical to STEM education and equity in education in the city of Wilmington.   

We are pleased to recognize Karen Eller as a superlative educator!

Karen Eller was nominated by Wendy Turner, former 2nd grade Teacher,

Brandywine School District and the 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year.

Nominate Your Favorite Educator to be a “Shining Light”

The DFSME Shining Light Award recognizes outstanding examples of the excellence of Delaware teachers. Every day in classrooms throughout the state, Delaware teachers enable young learners to be informed citizens in an increasingly complex world. They prepare their students to be competitive in the ever-changing global workforce and to be the problem-solvers of the next generation. Honorees receive a $100 gift card, a mini heavy-duty mag flashlight and lots of recognition!

ANYONE may nominate a Delaware STEM formal, informal or community educator.

Click here to download an easy-to-fill word document. Email completed form to Anne.dfsme@gmail.com with “Shining Light Award” in the subject line.

2023 District/Charter Teachers of the Year

Twenty of Delaware's Top Teachers were honored at a celebration on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

These candidates were nominated by their school districts or the Delaware Charter Network for their superior ability to inspire students with a love of learning, exemplary demonstration of professional traits and strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

To see photographs of the honorees, click here.

Delaware State University leadership, state dignitaries and corporate leadership broke ground on the

$10 million future Ag Science building. Photo courtesy of Katie Tabeling.

Delaware State University Ag Building

Celebrated with Agilent Partnership

Before a crowd of state dignitaries, higher education officials and corporate leadership, Delaware State University (DSU) President Tony Allen stood in the middle of a baseball field and announced that the university was “on the move.”

“We’ve said it for some time now,” Allen told the crowd. “My friends, if you don’t know Delaware State, get to know us. Because we’re trying to do things that many others don’t do.”

The baseball field on the west end of DSU’s main campus is the future site of the university’s state-of-the-art $10 million agriculture science building, where officials broke ground Thursday afternoon. But to follow Allen’s words with example, DSU officials announced it had formed a new partnership with Agilent Technologies, a developer of equipment and software for laboratories across a variety of industries.

Agilent Technologies, which has a large Wilmington-area workforce, donated $4.5 million to the state’s lone HBCU, including $1 million in scholarship funds to support 21 students working on STEM degrees. The remaining $3.5 million donation will fund analytical instruments critical to studying agriculture science.

But the partnership does not stop at a dollar donation. Gregory MacKenney, the vice president of Agilent’s instrument supplies business, emphasized that the life sciences company is looking to establish a mentorship and internship program, as well as giving classroom talks.

To read the full article by Katie Tabeling in the Delaware Business Times, click here. 

8th Annual Delaware STEM Educator Awards

November 17, 2022 • 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

FREE Virtual Event!

Delaware Tech is a proud supporter of Delaware’s STEM initiative to ensure the state’s future workforce is prepared to succeed. STEM programs and instruction that focus on applications-based teaching for all ages include the following programs and training:

STEM Technical Training: Delaware Tech offers a variety of technical programs and workforce training that allow graduates to work in the field immediately upon completion.

STEM Associate Degree Programs: Delaware Tech offers a variety of highly-respected STEM-related degrees, with many programs offering a Connected Degree option to enter a senior institution as a college junior.

Science Programs of Study:

• Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Exercise Science
• Chemistry Education
• Physics Education

Technology Programs of Study:

• Biology
• Chemical Process Operator
• Computer Aided Drafting Design Technology
• Information Technology and Networking
• Construction Management

Engineering Programs of Study:

• Architecture Engineering Technology
• Civil Engineering Technology
• Computer Engineering Technology Option
• Electronics Engineering Technology
• Electronics Engineering Technology Instrumentation Option
• ElectroMechanical Engineering Technology
• Energy Management
• Environmental Engineering Technology
• Mechanical Design Engineering Technology
• Mechanical Engineering Technology

Mathematics Programs of Study:

• Math Secondary Education
• Middle-Level Math Education

For more information on DTCC’s STEM programs and instruction, click here. 

For more information on DTCC’s Workforce Training program, click here.

Delaware elementary students in grades 3-5 are eligible to submit entries for The Air We Share Art Contest sponsored by DFSME Environment Watershed Energy Climate Change task team.

Criteria

Design an art piece to demonstrate how our actions can make a positive impact on our community’s air quality. Things to consider are transportation, the natural environment, energy use, or anything that can improve air quality.

• Individual students may submit a single entry.

• Multiple students may submit a single entry.

• Teachers may submit multiple works for their entire class or a team of students as a single submission. 

Prizes

Prizes for the individual entry winners in each grade are:

• $100 Amazon gift card for 1st place

• $50 Amazon gift card for 2nd place

• $25 Amazon gift card for 3rd place

All submissions will be displayed at the Delaware Department of Education headquarters.

All submissions must be sent via Google Form at https://bit.ly/3Ck07hV no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022.

For full details of the contest including submission process, teacher resources, and helpful websites, click here.

For questions, contact Joe Iannone at dfsme.contest@gmail.com.

Save the Date! Nov 8, 2022

Celebrate STEM/STEAM Day!

Children are significantly better off with strong Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics skills. That’s why STEM and STEAM education programs are so important. It’s well known that these subjects push society forward, and these programs help to find fun and engaging ways to teach students! Join us as we celebrate STEAM/STEAM Day on Nov 8!

For the history and fun activities of STEM/STEAM Day, click here.

October 13

Fall Multi-State Afterschool Conference

Constellation of Afterschool Stars

Afterschool Networks from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia are joining together to host the Constellation of Afterschool Stars - Illuminating the Field. This event will bring together speakers from the four states and across the country to discuss the latest science, news, and trends from experts in the field.

For more info and to register, click here.

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Register Now! October 14-15

Delaware Mathematics & STEM Equity Conferences

One and a half powerful days of professional learning dedicated to Equity in Math and STEM.

Hosted by the Delaware Mathematics Coalition, Delaware Department of Education,

Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, Delaware STEM Council, and FAME.

We encourage you to register for both FREE conference days.

To Register for the Oct. 14th Math Equity Conference, click here. 

To Register for the Oct. 15th STEM Equity Conference, click here. 

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October 15 • 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. 

Fall Family Fun Fest

Live music and fun events like Tour the Galaxy Garden. Food and beverage trucks available.

$5 per person at the gate. Hosted by Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation.

585 Big Oak Road, Smyrna, DE. For more info, click here.

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October 20

Lights On Afterschool

This nationwide event, organized by the Afterschool Alliance and in partnership with the 50 State Afterschool Network, calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs and the resources required to keep the lights on and the doors open. The Delaware Afterschool Network is proud to be a Lights On Afterschool partner. Everything you need to plan a successful event, from case studies to sample materials, is available in the 

Lights On Afterschool Planning Kit.

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Deadline for Submissions November 1

2022 Congressional App Challenge

This competition is open to all Delaware students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of

coding experience. Students of all skill levels are strongly encouraged to participate! The Delaware

winner will be selected at the end of the year by Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and a panel of

judges. The Delaware winner will be featured on https://CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The

winning app will be eligible for display in the U.S. Capitol along with other state winners from across

the country. The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science.

For more info, visit https://CongressionalAppChallenge.us, or email

StudentSupport@https://CongressionalAppChallenge.us, or Iris Turner at

iris.turner@mail.house.gov.

To register for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge, click here.

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November 4 • 5 p.m. Deadline for Submissions

"The Air We Share" Art Contest

Delaware students in grades 3-5 are eligible to submit entries for The Air We Share Art Contest 

sponsored by DFSME Environment Watershed Energy Climate Change task team.

Send Submissions via Google Form to https://bit.ly/3Ck07hV by 5 p.m. Nov. 4. 

For more info, click here. For questions, email Joe Iannone at dfsme.contest@gmail.com.

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November 8

STEM & STEAM Day

Celebrate this national holiday with STEM activities for your students.

For history, timeline, FAQs and fun learning suggestions, click here.

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Save the Date! November 17

8th Annual Delaware STEM Educator Awards Ceremony

Live Zoom Videocast from Buena Vista Country Estate in New Castle, Delaware.

Co-hosted by Delaware STEM Council and DFSME, the event announces winners at the

Elementary School (K-5), Middle School (6-8) and High School (9-12) levels,

the Community Educator Awards, the Jon Manon STEAM Team Educator Award and others!

For more information, click here. 

To register for this FREE event and receive a zoom invite, click here. 

DFSME thanks the following organizations for contributions to STEM education in Delaware.

STEM Legacy

DuPont | LabWare

STEM Heritage

Ashland | Mountaire | Verizon

STEM Sustainer

Bloom Energy

STEM Network

Delmarva Power an Exelon Company

STEM Business

Agilent Technologies | Croda

STEM Friends

Delaware Math Coalition | Delaware STEM Council | Wilmington Urban STEM Initiative

STEM Gifts in Kind

Beebe Healthcare | Chesapeake Utilities | Christiana Care | Corteva Agriscience | Cyber Streets

Delaware Department of Education | Delaware Design Company | Delaware Technical Community College Delaware Nature Society | DelawareBio | Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

EDiS | FAME, Inc. | ILC Dover | Junior Achievement | Million Women Mentors | Spekciton Biosciences LLC

Stroud Water Research Center | University of Delaware | Whisman Giordano & Associates

Delaware Foundation for Science and Math Education

100 W. 10th Street, Suite 612 

Wilmington, DE 19801 

Tel: 302.397.0034 | Fax: 302.397.0036 

Email: anne.dfsme@gmail.com

www.dfsme.org