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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
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This Week's Topics:
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| On Monday of this week, the President released the final budget request of his tenure in the White House. This funding request is for fiscal year (FY) 2009, which begins in October of this year. If the President does not allow Congress to spend any amount above his request again, as he did last year, some in the Democratic leadership in Congress are saying they will simply wait until the next President comes into office to fully deal with the budget. In his request, the President asks for $178.9 million for Math and Science Partnerships at the Department of Education; this represents flat funding from the current FY08 funding, and a decrease of $3.2 million from his request last year at this time. Due to the America COMPETES Act (COMPETES), this year's Math Now program combines what were previously two separate programs, one was known as "Math Now for Elementary Students," and the other "Math Now for Middle School Students." The President requested $95 million for this now-combined program, which is the same amount authorized in COMPETES. Two other Department of Education programs authorized by COMPETES, aimed at providing masters and bachelor degrees for STEM education teachers, were not provided any funding in the President's request. For the Math and Science Partnership program at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the President is requesting $51 million, an increase of $2.5 million over FY08 funding, and an increase of $5 million over his FY08 request. More details on these programs and other STEM education funding levels can be found on the Triangle Coalition Legislative News site. . |
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Triangle Coalition member, DuPont, and The George Washington University hosted more than 800 middle and high school students, parents, and educators from across the United States at an Invitational Science Olympiad Tournament in late January, in Washington, D.C. The one-day tournament prepared emerging Science Olympiad teams for their regional and state tournaments, which will lead to the 2008 Science Olympiad National Tournament May 30 - 31. The national tournament, also sponsored by DuPont and hosted by The George Washington University, is expected to draw over 5,000 students, parents, and educators. Competitions in 50 events will include a series of team events, aligned with the National Science Standards and balanced among the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and technology. The competitions require knowledge of science concepts, process skills, and science applications. Teams reach the national tournament after winning local, regional, and state competitions throughout the United States. . |
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| Beginning this month, science and math educators can once again participate in Vernier Software & Technology's free hands-on workshops. Attendees will learn how to integrate computer and handheld data-collection technology into any science or math curriculum. At each 4-hour session, Vernier trainers and attendees will explore the many ways that data-collection technology can be used to enhance learning in any chemistry, biology, physics, math, middle school science, physical science or Earth science classroom. Participants will learn how to collect data using the LabQuest, the most powerful and intuitive interface ever designed by Vernier. The versatile data collection tool can be used both in the lab and out in the field. Additionally the sessions will cover how to collect data using computers, TI graphing calculators, and Palm OS™ handhelds. Each workshop includes lunch or dinner and a training manual. Educators also have the option of earning two (quarter) Graduate Science credit hours through the Portland State University Center for Science Education. Educators electing to participate are required to complete a follow-up project using electronic sensors. Each session will be lead by current or former classroom science and math teachers. The group of 26 trainers together has 686 years of teaching experience and has won many prestigious awards. Collectively they have written more than 60 science books and lab manuals, including many published by Vernier. Click here for more details. . |
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Forty high school seniors were recently named finalists for the Intel Science Talent Search 2008 (Intel STS). The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to compete for scholarships, with the top winner receiving a $100,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. This year's Intel STS finalists hail from 19 states and represent 35 schools. New York boasts the most finalists from any state with 15 (the most since 2004), followed by Pennsylvania with four, and Texas with three. The finalists' independent research projects include: further understanding of the relationship of nicotine to breast cancer and chemotherapy efficacy; an economics study of the cross-influence of public and private funding for Iowa's public libraries; and the design and construction of affordable microbial fuel cells that could generate clean water and clean energy anywhere. Over the past 67 years, STS alumni have received more than 100 of the world's most coveted science and math honors including six Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science, 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and two Fields Medals. . |
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| The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, will sponsor a seminar on the use of the following three NCES International Databases: the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The event runs from May 21- 23, and will be held in Washington, DC. This seminar is open to advanced graduate students and faculty members from colleges and universities nationwide, and to researchers, education practitioners, and policy analysts from state and local education agencies and professional associations. There is no fee to attend this seminar. NCES will provide training materials as well as computers for hands-on practice. NCES will also pay for transportation, hotel accommodations, and a fixed per diem for meals and incidental expenses during the training seminar. All applications should be received no later than April 4, 2008. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be informed by April 14, 2008. For more information or to complete an application, click here.
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| A public-private partnership designed to train and connect more than 100,000 students to jobs in Ohio's 21st century economy recently announced a $12 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The investment -- part of a $50 million commitment by state and private partners -- will support the launch of the Ohio Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Learning Network, to be managed by Battelle, the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization. The network will begin with five regional STEM-based schools targeting low income and minority students. Ohio lawmakers also have targeted $100 million for STEM college scholarships. The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) will work with Ohio's public schools to ensure that all students meet the STEM literacy challenge and are prepared to fill the high-quality jobs that will transform Ohio's economy from an industrial economy to a "solutions" economy. The OSLN, in cooperation with the Ohio Partnership for Continued Learning, seeks to: double the number of college graduates in Ohio by 2015 with degrees in the STEM disciplines, with a special emphasis on increasing the number of low income and minority graduates; dramatically increase the number of individuals who choose a career in STEM fields to support Ohio's economic growth and ensure the state's position as a leader in innovation, research, and emerging technology; and design and implement a statewide infrastructure that ensures all secondary STEM school creation is aligned with Ohio's education reform, economic development, workforce, and two- and four-year higher education endeavors. Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, and also is one of the nation's leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education. More details about Battelle's educational programs are online. . |
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| To help upper elementary and middle school teachers integrate today's hottest topic in their classrooms, Sally Ride Science announces a new Educator Institute, "Connecting with Climate Change: The CO2 Story." The one-day professional development workshop in La Jolla, CA, allows teachers to explore the latest findings on climate change, and gain tips and strategies for incorporating the science of Earth's changing climate into their curriculum. Designed for fifth through eighth grade teachers, the Educator Institute includes hands-on workshops followed by time for teachers to customize lessons and activities for their classrooms. The Educator Institute on climate change follows on the heels of the launch of the company's Climate Change Classroom Set last fall. Developed for upper elementary and middle school students, the Climate Change Classroom Set brings the impacts of climate change to their world. The four books in the set-- Ecosystems, The Atmosphere, The Oceans, and The Poles -- blend the latest science and environmental concerns with current ideas and solutions for facing our climate challenge and creating a healthier planet. These full-color, nonfiction readers engage students in the epic changes happening around the world, encourage them to think of solutions, and reinforce state standards associated with the environment and the human impact of our changing world. Sally Ride Science is an innovative science content company dedicated to fueling girls' and boys' interests in science, math, and technology. Dr. Sally Ride, best known as America's first woman in space, founded the company in 2001 to create quality programs and products that educate, entertain, engage, and inspire. Programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, TOYchallenge, Educator Institutes, summer camps, and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.SallyRideScience.com. . |
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TCEB Sponsors
This issue of the TCEB is made possible by grants from: To find out how your organization can sponsor the TCEB or support the Triangle Coalition in other ways, visit www.trianglecoalition.org/support.htm __________________________________________________________________________ |
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