Boosting Under-represented Populations in STEM

According to the NAPE STEM Equity Pipeline Press, Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA), has introduced new legislation aiming to boost the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields, through the authorization of additional National Science Foundation grants.  The "Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2012" (S. 3475) was introduced on 1 August 2012.

Additionally, Google is working to increase the numbers of females in high-tech jobs in the Silicon Valley.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/technology/in-googles-inner-circle-a-falling-number-of-women.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120823

Finally, the Huffington Post's David Goldberg and Mark Somerville discuss the variety of diversity that is necessary to make engineering creative and innovative for future global needs, as well as how to address the diversity gap in engineering education.  Part of the solution appears to be the message about what engineering really involves, thus making it attractive to many more potential engineers.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-goldberg/engineering-education-reform-_b_1826537.html

AVC STEM Grant to Present at STEMtech Conference

Representatives from the Antelope Valley College STEM Grant partnership, including AVC Professor Tooraj Gordi and AVUHSD Math and Science Curriculum Coordinator, Dr. Cindy Hendrix, will present regarding the innovative S-MAP (Senior Math Acceleration and Preparation) course at the STEMtech Conference in Kansas City in October.  To learn more about the conference, visit http://www.league.org/2012stemtech/ .

California and Kentucky Communities Models for STEM Education

Vince Bertram, in the US News "STEM Education" blog, cites industry and education partnerships in California and Kentucky as models of the way that STEM education can be operated, resulting in success for students.  Chevron's California Partnership, Project Lead the Way, and Linking Education and Economic Development "are working together to address the STEM jobs gap in California."  Likewise, "Toyota, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, and PLTW present another example of a scalable solution addressing the STEM education and workforce needs of Kentucky."  http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/stem-education/2012/08/15/industry-educators-build-in-roads-to-stem-success

Chevron Engineering Design Challenge

New video has been posted about the Chevron Engineering Design Challenge which took place at Bakersfield High School in March 2012; the event is part of Chevron's California Partnership with Project Lead the Way.  Chevron Engineering Design Challenge - Bakersfield

SF Toy Company Aims to Increase Girls' STEM Interest

Founded by Bettina Chen, Jennifer Kessler, and Alice Brooks, engineering students at Stanford University, a student start-up, Maykah, is creating toys designed to increase girls' interest in STEM.  Their first effort is "Roominate," a dollhouse kit which the youngsters construct, including lighting circuit boards, and then decorate.  The toy has been tested with focus groups and at the San Francisco Children's Creativity Museum; it has received crowd-financing and orders from around the globe.  Shipments of the dollhouse are expected to begin in a few months.  http://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Maykah-builds-girls-interest-in-science-3793765.php

11/10/12 Update:  See a similar story regarding "GoldieBlox" toys headed by Debra Sterling, also a Stanford engineer.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/siliconangle/2012/10/15/women-engineers/ 

New STEM-Focused High School Opens in San Bernardino

According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Indian Springs High School in San Bernardino opened last week with a focus on STEM and career academies.  The site will use a block schedule and other facilities modeling a community college campus to prepare students for post-secondary life.  The campus is being re-purposed from a middle school, and could eventually house up to 2,700 students at maximum capacity.  http://www.pe.com/local-news/san-bernardino-county/san-bernardino-county-headlines-index/20120817-san-bernardino-new-high-school-opens.ece

LEGO Mindstorm Workshop at AERO Institute 8/22/12

The AERO Institute in Palmdale (38256 Sierra Highway) is providing a free workshop from 4:00 to 7:30pm on Wednesday, 22 August 2012, for middle school students aged 9-14 years, accompanied by a parent, on LEGO Mindstorm robotics.  The objective is to train both with the aim of beginning a LEGO Robotics team.  Those interested in participating should e-mail the names of the attendees, student age, phone number, and e-mail address to Cecilia Cordova at cecilia.cordova@nasa.gov; contact Cecilia with questions at 661.276.3266.

Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core Math Standards

The Council of Great City Schools has published Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core standards; the roadmaps lay out how parents can support their students in math from kindergarten through eighth grades.  Guides are also posted for English Language Arts.  For more information, visit Parent Roadmaps to Common Core Standards .

Siemens Math, Science & Technology Competition Entries Due 10/1/12

Team and individual registration for the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology opened 1 May 2012, and the deadline for entries is 1 October 2012.  High school students' entries are initially "blind read" by  panels of judges with experience in the field of the entry; up to 300 projects are chosen as semi-finalists, and up to 30 teams and 30 individual students are selected to go on to regional competitions, including one at Cal Tech in Pasadena (9-10 November 2012).  Regional competitors must do a presentation regarding their project and respond to judging panels' questions; each receives a bronze medal and a $1,000 scholarship.  Regional winners receive a $3,000 scholarship along with a silver medal and advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C.  For more information on the competition, eligibility requirements, and registration, visit Siemens Math Science & Technology Competition 2012 .

Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education Offered Teacher Internships

For the 28th year, the Industry Initiative for Science and Math Education (IISME) in the Silicon Valley offered 165 teachers summer internships to learn how STEM principles taught in the classroom are actually applied, as well as stipends to create new STEM lesson plans that are actually implemented.  A few were available in Southern California. 

Teachers are "paired with universities and tech companies [such as Agilent and Nvidia] in the valley to give [them] a chance to see how principles and ideas they teach in the classroom are translated into real world products and initiatives."    "Kids are really inspired by teachers who have experienced the practical applications and who have worked side-by-side with scientists and engineers who can give them authentic stories," Jennifer Bruckner, IISME Executive Director, says.  http://www.mercurynews.com/mike-cassidy/ci_21273923/cassidy-nvidia-agilent-and-other-silicon-valley-tech

Similar opportunities have been provided to teachers locally in the Antelope Valley, notably in the last several years by the Air Force Research Lab at Edwards Air Force Base.

"Moms' Night Out for STEM" Webinar Scheduled 8/28/12

The STEM Equity Pipeline is hosting a free webinar event on 28 August 2012 at 10:00am PDT entitled "Moms' Night Out for STEM."  The webinar, moderated by Dr. Jeffery Weld and Linda Bisgaard from Iowa, is designed to provide suggestions on how to mobilize the community, particularly moms, to motivate children to study and pursue STEM subjects.  To find out more and to register, visit Moms Night Out for STEM Registration .

Latina Astronaut Candidate Working on NASA Projects

Dr. Yajaira Sierra-Sastre, an applicant for a new astronaut position, is working on several projects for NASA, including a four-month stint in a planetary module to simulate life on Mars, developing better astronaut cuisine, and working with the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) program.  Dr. Sierra-Sastre, who is currently a lecturer at Cornell University and an outreach specialist to Puerto Rican school districts, was a panelist at the Latino Leadership's Latino Family Conference in Florida, with an aim at increasing the number of Latino and Hispanic students entering STEM fields.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2006 Hispanics received only 6 percent of STEM degrees, and 3.5 percent of master's degrees.  http://nbclatino.com/2012/08/02/aspiring-puerto-rican-woman-astronaut-on-a-mission-to-inspire/

According to a recent "Excelencia in Education!" report, the majority of STEM degrees granted to Latinos come in six states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.  Excelencia in Education "Finding Your Workforce" Report .

Declining Percentage of Women Entering Computer Science Majors

Despite being sought-after in technology careers due to their team and project-management skills, a declining percentage of women are entering computer science majors.  The number has reduced since 1984, with a current rate of 13%.  Growth in technology jobs is expected to be high over the next six years; an NSF grant is targeting increasing the numbers of females pursuing computer careers.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/chi-women-bridge-computerscience-gap-20120803,0,659958.story  Perhaps the recent appointment of Marissa Mayer as the new "top geek" at Yahoo will bring renewed attention to this pathway for young women.  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/16/tech/web/marissa-mayer-bio/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5 .

Raytheon's "MathMovesU" Site Provides Resources

Raytheon's "MathMovesU" site, primarily targeted at the middle school age bracket, has math games, worksheets, and other classroom resources, as well as student scholarship and teacher grant applications.  It also provides links to other initiatives.  Visit at MathMovesU .

Science of the Summer Olympics

As an update to the 3/16/12 post here about "Pizza, Pi and Pucks," the NBC network, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, has added to its "NBC Learn" features to include the "Science of the Summer Olympics."  As of this post, ten videos are posted on such subjects as "Designing Safety Helmets" for boxing, "Designing a Fast Pool" and "Fluid Dynamics" on swimming, and "Engineering for Mobility" on para-olympics; some math topics are also incorporated.  Lesson plans are expected to be posted in August. Visit the link at NBC Science of the Summer Olympics .

Google RISE Award Applications Due 9/30/12

The Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Award applications are now available and are due by no later than 30 September 2012.  Designed to inspire increased K-12 and university participation in STEM and/or computer science, the awards range from $5,000 to $25,000.  For further information on eligibility requirements and the application, visit http://www.google.com/edu/rise/index.html .

Data On STEM Student Performance

The US Department of Education's "Data Dashboard" contains charts, detail, and reports regarding STEM performance both as a nation, and with state comparisons.  For example, the data tends to show that the percentage of bachelor's degrees conferred in STEM fields has declined by 1.2% from 1998-1999 to 2008-2009, while it has declined .8% in California during the same time period.  California currently ranks in the bottom third of states in this category.  For more information and to view this set of data indicators, visit US ED Data Dashboard STEM Degrees .

Additionally, the Center for American Progress has recently released a report following up on the NAEP's Student Report Card, including results related to math and science study.  The report discusses the fact that many students do not feel challenged in their math or science courses, do not understand what their math or science teachers are asking them in class, and do not routinely write long assignments for school.  Recommendations include mandating more rigorous standards for students to meet, as well as providing more rigorous learning activities.  To read or download the full report, see Do Schools Challenge Our Students?

Teachers Participate in San Diego Project Lead the Way Training

KPBS education reporter Kyla Calvert filed a story about approximately 20 high school teachers from states ranging from Alaska to Florida attending the Project Lead the Way (c) Summer Training Institute at San Diego State University in late July.  Among them were teachers from Quartz Hill and Palmdale High Schools locally, who will go back to their classrooms and facilitate the Introduction to Engineering Design courses.  Professor Bruce Westermo of SDSU cited the need for California to grow the STEM students and workforce, which PLTW is suited to do through project-based learning.  http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/jul/23/summer-training-prepares-teachers-inspire-future-e/

Teachers Participate in STEM Service Learning Institute

According to the Contra Costa Times, approximately 150 Southern California teachers from 30 districts recently participated in a free three-day STEM Service Learning Institute held in San Bernardino.  Led by USC Professor Robert de Groot, some of the teachers took a geology walk above CSU San Bernardino to learn about plate tectonics as compared to taking apart an Oreo cookie.  Other presenters included staff from South Coast AQMD, Indio high school students, UC Davis's Afterschool Network program director, and NASA/JPL Educator Resource Center in Pomona.  http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_21102840/teachers-learn-about-science-earthquakes-at-cal-state 

STEM Master Teacher Corps On the Horizon

Jason Koebler reported in the US News and World Report that The White House announced the availability of a grant opportunity in mid-July as part of the Teacher Incentive Fund application for districts to create a STEM Master Teacher Corps.  Among other requirements, the grant provided that teachers, who could receive up to $20,000 annual compensation over four years, have to teach in designated high-need schools; the district would be required to change teacher compensation and evaluation systems district-wide, and determine new teacher recruitment and retention strategies.  http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/07/18/white-house-announces-1-billion-master-teacher-program

How to Increase Numbers of STEM Students

Rodney C. Adkins, Sr. VP of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, recently wrote a piece in Forbes about three ways to increase the number of STEM students in the US to keep pace with attrition and to fuel economic growth.  First, public-private partnerships can create and maintain the enthusiasm of students in STEM subjects through mentorships and assisting in early-college high school or dual enrollment programs.  Second, more under-represented students, such as females and students of color, need to be included in the STEM pipeline through continued public and private initiatives.  Finally, students need local role models to work with and encourage them to succeed.  Forbes - America Needs More STEM Students .

In a similar vein, Alicia Abella of AT&T Labs addresses the same type of issues regarding the need to promote STEM majors and careers to women.  See her recent interview by Katy Hopkins in US News and World Report at http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/07/10/how-to-encourage-women-to-consider-stem-majors. 

Regarding Adkins's final point, results from a recent study by the University of Wisconsin indicate that parents can play a pivotal role in having their students take more advanced math and science classes; the study provided additional materials to some parents of 10th graders - the children of those who received the materials took more courses than those who didn't.  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/extra-credit/extra-credit-teach-your-children-well-about-stem/article_c734cd64-cb87-11e1-8bea-0019bb2963f4.html .

Project Learning Tree Offers GreenWorks Grants - Applications Due by 9/30/12

Any teacher who is Project Learning Tree trained is eligible to apply for a grant from GreenWorks to implement environmentally-related service learning projects in their schools and communities.  Awards are offered in two categories:

1. up to $1,000;
2. up to $3,000 for Project Learning Tree registered GreenSchools.

For more information about eligibility requirements, to obtain a guidebook, and to apply for a grant, visit http://www.greenworks.org/ at the "Apply for a Grant" tab.  Applications are due by no later than 30 September 2012.