STEM Logo jpg
Southeast STEM Network03/16/11
Spotlight on Southeast STEM
REGISTER NOW for Southeast STEM Regional Meeting: Connecting K-12 STEM to Higher Education

Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Atttleboro Center of Bristol Community College

11 Field Road, Attleboro, MA 02703 

Come connect with other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math educators across the PK-20 spectrum. Learn about what our region's higher education institutions are doing to promote STEM education and STEM careers, and resources they have to offer K-12 partners.

Presentations from: Bristol Community College (TechFairs, Programming and Web Development Contests, Professional Development Summer Seminars, Middle School Computing Programs, SAGE On-Campus Labs, Career Days, Professional Development and Lending Lab); Cape Cod Community College (Summer of Science camps in renewable energy and engineering); Bridgewater State University (MACS-Math and Computer Science seminars, Project Invention Convention, CASE/CityLab, DNA and Health Conference, Earthview, ACE Aviation Career Education Camp); Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Sea Science Leadership Program, Environmental Symposium, Follow the Voyage, SciGirls Expo, Advanced Studies Leadership Program); Massasoit Community College (Online Intermediate Algebra course, WebWork, workshops on teaching statistics; Accuplacer Prep course); UMass Dartmouth (Kaput Center--STEM education research, conferences, interdisciplinary colloquium series, Project LEAP, CUSP); Wheaton College.

All those interested in STEM (not just educators) are welcome to attend this free program, but advance registration is requested.  For more information and to register, click here

 
Classroom StudentsMassachusetts and the Southeast Region: How Do Our Students Measure Up?

 

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;
  • percentage of students scoring Proficient or Advanced on the MCAS math, science & technology/engineering assessments;
  • the 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;
  • number of students graduating from a post-secondary institution with a degree in a STEM field

Further analysis of the SAT test-taker data reveals some interesting findings:

  • total STEM interest in the SE region is higher than the statewide average and has increased  steadily over the past three years
  • total STEM interest is higher among minority than among white test-takers, higher in urban than suburban areas, and higher in schools with lower-income students

To review the report and see how Southeastern Massachusetts measures up, click here. 

 
Southeast Region NEWS & EVENTS 

Ocean Explorium STEM Speakers - March 17, 24, 31

Every Thursday in March, the Ocean Explorium of New Bedford hosts presentations on the "STEM" subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics especially targeted to girls and young women. The series continues with: 

 

  • March 17:  Gina Cerrito, Marine Educator with New England Aquarium
  • March 24:  Faith Ball, Engineering Sr. Manager with Lockheed Martin Sippican
  • March 31:  Rhonda Moniz, Dive Safety Instructor, Entrepreneur

 

Doors open at 5:00 pm for refreshments; talks begin at 5:30 pm.  This series is free and open to the public thanks to the support of the Women's Fund. For further information visit www.oceanexplorium.org.

  

Kaput Center Colloquium Series - Continues March 30

The Kaput Center hosts a free Interdisciplinary Colloquium Series on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Kaput Center. On March 30, Dr. G. Michael Barnett of Boston College will address the question What do Career Education, STEM Education and Policy have in Common? The April 20th session with Dr. Chris Hoadley of New York University is entitled Design, Research, and Design-Based Research Methods: How Can We Improve and Study How People Live and Learn With Their Technology? Finally, on May 4, Dr. Glenda Lappan, from Michigan State University, will present Designers Speak: Challenges in US Mathematics Education Through A Curriculum Developer Lens. Abstracts of each talk are available on the Kaput Center's website. 

 

2nd Annual Ocean Engineering Experience Summer Program at MIT - Applications Due March 31

An intense week-long program where sophomores and juniors interested in engineering get into the real design, building, and testing of their own creations. Tuition is $1400; limited scholarships are available. Program dates: July 9 - 16, 2011. For more information contact [email protected] (617) 253.9544 or visit this link.

 

Find Local Scienctists in Your Area with the National Lab Network

National Lab Day has expanded and rebranded to National Lab Network(NLN). NLN gives you instant access to thousands of volunteer scientists, engineers, technology experts and mathematicians. These STEM professionals can help you

  • judge a science fair
  • mentor individual student projects
  • plan cool post-testing projects and activities
  • organize field trips

Sign up at www.nationallabnetwork.org, go to the Community section, and click on STEM-based professionals to search the zip code area or city/state.

 

 

Professional Development Workshop at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, April 2 - 3

Whales may not travel in schools, but they can be used within a school setting as a teaching tool. "Schooling With Whales" will be offered the first weekend in April starting Saturday, April 2, at 8:30 a.m. Co-sponsored by the Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS), the course will introduce teachers of grades 3 - 8 to whale-related topics integrated with the state science and mathematics frameworks.Tuition is $50. Completion of the course provides ten (10) Professionsl Development Points (PDPs). To register, please contact Robert Rocha, Science Programs Manager, New Bedford Whaling Museum, at [email protected] 508.727.6859. For a complete calendar of events visit the Whaling Museum online at www.whalingmuseum.org

 

New England Faculty Colloquium on Climate Change, Policy, and Energy Solutions - Continues April 6

This UMASS Amherst series continues on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 2:30 with William Moomaw, Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at Tufts University, speaking on "Climate and Energy Policy." Faculty can also participate in the colloquium remotely via webinar. Additional information and news about other upcoming events can be found at this link.

 

 

LAUNCH - Moving Ideas to the Next Level - April 8 in Attleboro

Through workshops and exhibits, representatives of 50+ national, regional, and local organizations demonstrate what is being done by business, government, and formal and information educational institutions in early childhood, K-12, and higher education in order to motivate and prepare youth to participate in STEM studies and careers. Equally important, LAUNCH illustrates the significant role STEM skills play in innovation and economic development, the growth of businesses, health care, defense, improving the human-made world and protecting the natural world and more. Sessions on Developing 21st Century Skills, Closing the STEM Gap, Developing and Protecting Ideas (intellectual property) will be featured at this event on Friday, April 8, 2011 at Bristol Community College's Attleboro Center. Click here for additional information.

 

Sci-Tech Girls Expo, Saturday, April 9 at Mass. Maritime Academy

High school girls across Southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape & Islands are invited to this day-long event exposing them to careers in aerospace, the environment, marine biology and technology, and health and life sciences. Keynote speaker: Dr. Susan Avery, CEO of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Enrollment is limited to the first 100 participants. Fee is $20. To register or for more information, call (774) 994.2097, email [email protected], or visit this link.

In This Issue
REGISTER Now - Southeast STEM Meeting is March 23
STEM Outlook - How Do Our Students Measure Up?
IN EVERY ISSUE: Southeast Region NEWS & EVENTS