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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
March 6, 2008
Volume 14, Number 9

Published by the
Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education

Issue Sponsor:
ADC Foundation

This Week's Topics:

  1. NSTA LAUNCHES NATIONAL EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN U.S. SCIENCE EDUCATION
  2. OUTSTANDING ST. LOUIS SCIENTIST AWARDS ANNOUNCED
  3. QUESTBRIDGE LAUNCHES 2008 COLLEGE PREP SCHOLARSHIP
  4. SYMPOSIUM INSPIRES STUDENTS ABOUT STEM CELL RESEARCH
  5. TEXAS A&M ANS STUDENT SECTION TO HOST NATIONAL NUCLEAR CONFERENCE
  6. SCIENCE TEACHERS RECEIVE AAAS/SUBARU AWARD
  7. DNA DAY ESSAY CONTEST FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
  8. PREVIOUS ISSUES

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NSTA LAUNCHES NATIONAL EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN U.S. SCIENCE EDUCATION
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has announced the launch of a $43 million, five-year effort to create a national Center for Science Education (CSE). CSE initiatives will promote science literacy, produce the next generation of science education standards, and create a state-of-the-art facility that will allow science educators nationwide to engage in leadership and content-based learning opportunities. Senator John Glenn, former NASA astronaut and a lifelong champion of science education, will chair the $23 million external fundraising campaign. To date, more than $12 million has been pledged for the campaign highlighted by lead gifts from Agilent Technologies, Amgen Foundation, Bayer Corporation, Bechtel Jr. Foundation, Discovery Channel, GE Foundation, and the Toyota Corporation. In addition, NSTA has committed to finance up to $20 million, nearly half of the funds needed, in support of this initiative.

Inspired by the Glenn Commission's visionary report "Before It's Too Late," the CSE campaign will focus on many of the report's recommendations and feature as its cornerstone a new $30 million, high-tech, LEED-certified facility located just minutes from Washington, D.C. The new facility will serve as a launch pad to advocate for quality science education and as both a virtual and concrete learning center to develop science education leaders and provide content-driven training for teachers. The campaign will also fund CSE programs including the "NSTA New Science Teacher Academy," designed to address science teacher attrition by providing professional development and mentoring support for early early-career teachers; the "NSTA Learning Center," an internet portal created to provide science teachers with in-depth, science-content help, short courses, and quality face-to-face web seminars and meetings; and "the CSE Leadership Institute," offering workshops, seminars, and other high visible initiatives, including "Science Matters," a public awareness and engagement campaign designed to rekindle a national sense of urgency about science education; and "Science Anchors," a forward-thinking effort to identify core science concepts that will reflect a consensus on essential science skills and knowledge necessary for twenty-first century learning. Triangle Coalition member, NSTA, will be celebrating the launch of the campaign next month during the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston on March 29.  

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OUTSTANDING ST. LOUIS SCIENTIST AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Triangle Coalition member, the Academy of Science-St. Louis, has announced the names of the Awardees of the 14th annual Outstanding St. Louis Scientist Awards. Several Awards will be presented in April, including the Peter H. Raven Lifetime Award, which is presented to an established St. Louis scientist with a distinguished career of service in science, engineering or technology. The 2008 Lifetime Award winner is William S. Knowles, Ph.D. Dr. Knowles was named a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2001 and is also a Monsanto Distinguished Science Fellow. Dr. Knowles continues to encourage the next generation of scientists through his active participation in regional science organizations. In addition to others, a Science Educator Award is presented annually for major contributions to science education or outreach that furthers the understanding and appreciation of science. Two science professionals will receive Science Educator Awards for 2008:

* Dr. John Rigden has long been associated with enlightening non-students on the principles and application of physics. His work with UMSL, the American Institute of Physics, and the Washington University Colloquium Series is well-recognized in the physics community, and his writings have helped make physics accessible and entertaining to many generations of non-scientists.
* Harold Messler is a Criminalistics Manager at the St. Louis Crime Laboratory. His teaching through St. Louis University and mentoring via the Academy of Forensic Scientists has contributed to the careers of many forensic scientists around the country.

The Academy of Science-St. Louis is a 152 year-old organization dedicated to promoting the advancement and understanding of science in the St. Louis region. The Academy fulfills its mission of connecting science and the community through Scientists in the Classroom, Speakers for Science seminars offered in collaboration with community organizations, the Greater St. Louis Science Fair, a prestigious Fellows organization, Forest Park BioBlitz, the Junior Academy, and Outstanding St. Louis Scientist Awards. A key focus is the engagement of the future science, engineering, and technology workforce and science advocates of the region. Find out more at www.academyofsciencestl.org

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QUESTBRIDGE LAUNCHES 2008 COLLEGE PREP SCHOLARSHIP

QuestBridge, an initiative of the Quest Scholars Program, serves as an intermediary between the nation's brightest, under-served youth and leading institutions of higher education. QuestBridge provides a single, internet-based meeting point which links exceptional students with the colleges, scholarship providers, employers, and organizations seeking students who have excelled despite obstacles. By facilitating these exchanges, QuestBridge aims to increase the percentage of talented, low-income students attending the nation's best universities, and excelling beyond. QuestBridge has recently launched the College Prep Scholarship, which provides a range of services to selected students including scholarships to college summer school programs, individualized college admissions counseling, college admissions conference invitations, and all-expense-paid campus visits, and/or tele-mentoring with current college students. The College Prep Scholarship application is available at www.questbridge.org. The application is free of charge and is due March 31, 2008.

The College Prep Scholarship also prepares students to be successful applicants to the QuestBridge National College Match program, which pairs outstanding low-income high school seniors with admission and full four-year scholarships to our partner colleges. Last year, 204 students were offered admission and full four-year College Match scholarships to QuestBridge partner colleges. Five hundred additional QuestBridge applicants were admitted to partner colleges with generous financial aid through the regular decision process.

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SYMPOSIUM INSPIRES STUDENTS ABOUT STEM CELL RESEARCH
The Biotechnology Institute recently partnered with the National Academy of Sciences and members of the Illinois education and biotechnology communities to hold the Chicagoland Stem Cell Education Symposium, a forum for discussing innovative approaches to teaching stem cell research. The symposium, held February 22 at Northwestern University, convened 150 teachers, leading scientists, and journalists to discuss stem cell research, including its underlying scientific foundations and realistic promise, ethical and societal considerations, and approaches to teaching it to Illinois students. "Our goal is to educate students about this ground-breaking and sometimes controversial science by engaging the scientific community with educators in a conversation about advances in stem cell science and how to convey them to the classroom," says Paul A. Hanle, president of Triangle Coalition member, the Biotechnology Institute. "As educators we are always looking for opportunities to interest students in current science. Stem cell research is a topic that has the potential to galvanize students' interest in issues that are very relevant to their lives and society."

The Chicagoland Stem Cell Education Symposium included presentations and panel discussions led by leading scientists, ethicists, policy analysts, and educators regarding interdisciplinary approaches for teachers, policy makers, and scientists to collaborate and develop ways to educate students and inspire greater involvement in the future of stem cell technology. The symposium is one of four stem cell education forums that will be conducted in 2008. The Biotechnology Institute is an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite, and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food, and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.

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TEXAS A&M ANS STUDENT SECTION TO HOST NATIONAL NUCLEAR CONFERENCE

Nuclear engineering students in the United States and around the globe recently gathered for the 2008 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Conference. This conference titled, "Expanding the Nuclear Family," was hosted by the Texas A&M University ANS Student Section in College Station, TX. Approximately 500 students attended to exchange current information and research within the nuclear science and technology field. This conference, organized solely by Texas A&M students, provided a forum for students to exchange ideas and present their work on nuclear topics including the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, and radioisotopes. Professionals representing nuclear organizations discussed work force issues, new technologies, and the U.S. nuclear renaissance.

Triangle Coalition member, the American Nuclear Society, is an international scientific and educational organization. It was established in 1954 by professionals in diverse fields to promote the advancement of engineering and science relating to the atomic, nuclear, and allied sciences and arts. More than 10,800 individuals belong to the Society and exchange research, provide scholarships, hold meetings, and disseminate information on nuclear science and technology. Find out more at www.ans.org

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SCIENCE TEACHERS RECEIVE AAAS/SUBARU AWARD
Six science teachers have been awarded the 2008 AAAS/Subaru Essay Writing Competition Award for their essays on designing science lesson plans and integrating technology in the classroom. The awards, announced at the recent AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, recognized four first-prize and two honorable-mention teachers for their wealth of knowledge about bringing innovative science into the classroom. The winners all received admission to the Annual Meeting, a stipend to cover portions of their transportation, and a free one-year subscription to Science Books and Films, a review journal for all sciences and ages. Currently in its sixth year, the competition received entries from teachers around the country describing methods for teaching science effectively and creatively. In one essay, Lisa Austin, a teacher at Mahoney Middle School in South Portland, ME, wrote about her course on disease and epidemiology, in which she uses a fictional disease outbreak scenario activity on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The online activity shows students how diseases spread, she said. "As a middle-school educator, I am not specifically seeking to train a future generation of scientists," said Austin. "I consider it far more important to inspire lifelong science literacy. I teach toward developing an informed citizenry whose members can effectively weigh difficult science issues."

AAAS helps advance science education through a number of programs that focus on school curriculums, resources for educators, public education, scientific career advancement, and workforce training. More details are at www.aaas.org/programs/education.  

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DNA DAY ESSAY CONTEST FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
National DNA Day (April 25, 2008) commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of DNA's double helix in 1953. Each year the National Human Genome Research Institute and other partners, including the American Society of Human Genetics and the Genetics Society of America work together to design a variety of events that help K-12 students, teachers, and the public learn more about how genetics and genomics impacts their lives. The DNA Day Essay Contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on the importance and social implications of genetic research. Essays are expected to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a depth of understanding of the issues addressed by the selected essay question. All students, grades 7-12, are eligible. Students may choose to address one of the questions on the DNA Day website. All essays are due by 5PM EST on March 17, 2008.    

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TCEB Sponsors

This issue of the TCEB is made possible by grants from:

ADC Foundation

ADC Telecommunications provides network infrastructure products and services to businesses around the world. Connecting industry and community needs, the ADC Foundation focuses its charitable grants on science and mathematics education, and also on nonprofit technology assistance.

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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