southeastern massachusetts STEM News and Events
On May 24, 2012, five hundred middle school students will meet with sixty-plus STEM experts determined to get the kids excited about STEM careers and education pathways. Twenty-two schools, from Canton to the Cape, have now been selected to participate!
Districts could apply in two tracks. Teams of up to 30 students and three adults could participate in workshops, demos, and other hands-on activities such as identifying native turtles, cleaning up a mock oil spill, driving underwater robots, building a winning football team, and conducting a well-baby checkup.
School District Community Teams of up to 10 educators and other community members will evaluate the Expo as a way of starting or growing their own school district STEM initiative.
Selected communities are: Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Canton, Dartmouth, Dennis/Yarmouth, Foxborough, Freetown/Lakeville, Hanover, Mansfield, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Norton, Old Rochester, Plainville, Plymouth, Provincetown, Sandwich, Taunton, Whitman/Hanson, Weymouth, and Westport.
Additional applicants have been placed on a waiting list.
For UP TO THE MINUTE INFO about the 2012 STEM Expo, follow us on Twitter @SEMassSTEMExpo and Like Us on Facebook.
Click here for additional information about the Expo.
"Employers & Educators Bridging the STEM Gap" Meeting November 2
Over 140 people converged on Gillette Stadium November 2, 2011 to discuss STEM and how educators and employers can work together to promote STEM achievement and interest among our young people. 97% of attendees reported that the meeting “met or exceeded” expectations. Participation was robust and enthusiastic, with over half of respondents reporting that they wish they had had more time to talk!
Educators voiced the need for sustained, ongoing involvement from business in the form of mentoring, job-shadow opportunities, supplying real-world problems faced by companies and classroom visits from volunteers. Other needs expressed were for more opportunities for networking and convening; “matchmaking” between schools and companies, dissemination of information about programs and services that are available, and continued promotion of STEM. The great news is that these are all planned future activities for the SE MA STEM Network!
Click here to read the full report of the discussion and recommendations. To view evaluation feedback from the meeting, click here.
Lieutenant Governor Touts Importance of STEM
The need for heightened STEM interest, education, and support was the topic of Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray's recent address at Bristol Community College - Attleboro Center. Educators, business leaders, and citizens from throughout the region attended the event, hosted by BCC with support from the Southeast/Cape & Islands PreK-16 Regional STEM Network. View the complete video of the presentation and discussion here. For an additional perspective of the lieutenant governor's commitment to STEM, read "STEM - Helping Children to Imagine a Boundless Future."
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Southeast Region on Target for STEM Goals
A recent report from the UMASS Donohue Institute shows that the Southeast Region is currently on target to meet STEM goals set by the Commonwealth in terms of: interest in STEM majors among college-going public high school graduates; the percentage of all students scoring Proficient or Advanced on the MCAS math, science, and technology/engineering assessments; percentage of students who demonstrate readiness for college level study in STEM fields by taking four or more years of high school math and three or more years of high school science; and the number of students graduating from post-secondary institutions with a degree in a STEM field.
To review the report and see how Southeastern Massachusetts measures up against the rest of the state and benchmarks set for the future, click the following links: Statewide Data and Southeast Data.
The Southeastern Massachusetts STEM Network
A Resource for Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Education
The Southeast/Cape and Islands Regional PreK-16 STEM Network is a collaboration of schools, colleges and universities, other formal and informal educational organizations, and business and industry whose representatives are concerned with improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and increasing the number of students interested in and prepared for STEM-based careers.
The Southeast/Cape & Islands Regional PreK-16 STEM Network is one of seven regional STEM Networks in Massachusetts, all funded through the STEM Pipeline Fund of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. For more information about the SE MA Regional PreK-16 STEM Network, visit About the Network.
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