This two-day Summit will introduce attendees to K-20 best practices in education focusing on innovative teaching and learning in STEM.  As attendees, you will be examining curriculum for incorporation of best practices in STEM teaching and learning.This free event includes lunch and snacks, materials, and fun giveaways.

• Your educational colleagues will be sharing their strategies for incorporating STEM in the classroom
• Industry professionals from aerospace and advanced manufacturing, education, energy, and information and computing technology will highlight emerging technology and workforce trends.

The STEM Summit keynote is Dr. Bradley Layton.  For more information and a link to register, click here. 

Tacoma's Paraeducator/Early Childhood Ed Programs are the recipients of a 598K grant from the US Dept. of Education.  The award is spread out over four years with the goal of improving TCC's paraprofessional pre-service program to include critical instruction and field experience in special education.  The project will address all disabilities of children aged birth to five years in early childhood settings.  Key collaborators in this project include the Tacoma Learning Center, the EarlyChildhood Teacher Preparation Council, the Tacoma Public School District, Lesley University at TCC, and the Advisory Committee for TCC's Paraeducator Program.  Individuals completing the proposed program of study will receive a 44-credit certificate (Paraeducator Certificate with an Emphasis in Early Childhood/Special Education).  For more information, contact Mary Skinner

Using a small grant, Bellevue College's Workforce and Parent Education co-developed a program for individuals in need of retraining but close to exhausting their unemployment benefits.  In addition to training support and skill development, emotional support for the family was essential in helping students successfully dovetail work, study and family life. The program used a newly developed Parent Education curriculum from the Washington State Organization of Parent Educators (OPEP). A team of three instructors, lead by Julie Soto, designed the Parenting portion. Bellevue wants to revisit the model and the instructor team all experienced a better way of providing student support. For questions about the instructor team role, contact Sharon Romppanen. 

The Department of Early Learning and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges have asked the Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Council to develop templates for three levels of ECE Certificates with common course numbering.  Washington's new Career Lattice and Core Competencies document are the foundations for this work.  Bellevue College is hosting the first meeting on Tuesday, December 6th.  The Certificate Work Group will facilitate the discussions, ITV participation is possible.

• Stipends will be available to help off-set travel costs.
• A boxed lunch will be provided if you RSVP by Dec 1st, just contact Sally Holloway