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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
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This Week's Topics:
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| In the coming weeks, high school and college students across the country will be heading back to school. A fortunate few will share some unique experiences. They will tell how they were at NASA for two months conducting cutting-edge research and working to send American astronauts to the moon and beyond. This summer, more than 150 students from 23 states and Puerto Rico took part in a new NASA education project called "INSPIRE" -- the Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience. The internships are located at each of NASA's 10 field centers. The INSPIRE project is open to students in grades 9-12, including high school graduates preparing for their first year of college who are U.S. citizens and have at least an overall 2.5 grade point average or better on a 4.0 scale. Interested students should first apply for entry into the INSPIRE online community, NASA's education resource for students, parents, and teachers. Once selected for INSPIRE, they may compete for internships and other unique summer opportunities. To participate in the summer opportunities, students must achieve a minimum 3.0 grade point average, submit an essay about their interest in NASA and the space program, and include two letters of recommendation from teachers or adult mentors with their application. NASA education officials assess all submissions, seeking candidates who demonstrate teamwork, leadership potential and career aspirations in fields related to math, science, and engineering. Through the INSPIRE online community, NASA provides resources and activities that help parents champion their students' goals. NASA also contributes to classrooms, providing teaching modules and resources designed to capture students' imaginations and enhance their technical and problem-solving skills. For information about INSPIRE and how to participate in the program, click here. For more information about Triangle Coalition member, NASA, and its education programs, visit www.nasa.gov/education. . |
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| The Michigan Department of Education recently received a $60,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to raise awareness and train teachers throughout the state to use thousands of free educational resources available on Thinkfinity.org. Thinkfinity is the Verizon Foundation's comprehensive online portal to more than 55,000 educational and literacy resources for teachers, parents and students. Resources include standards-based and grade-specific K-12 lesson plans, and engaging interactive activities provided in partnership with many of the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations. Thinkfinity offers elementary through high school teachers resources across eight academic disciplines, from science to English to mathematics, to improve student achievement. The portal is designed to help teachers gain access to online resources quickly. The grant will be used to market the Michigan Online Resources for Educators (MORE) portal that will house the Thinkfinity resources and for training teachers on how to integrate the resources found on the portal into their classroom instruction. To make the Thinkfinity site even more valuable to teachers, students, and parents, the Verizon Foundation recently announced several enhancements and improvements, including the addition of 500 new resources, and individual portals to allow users to search for resources targeted to educators, students, parents, or after-school programs. In addition to providing standards-based resources from the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations, the site also offers a comprehensive professional development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online or face-to-face training to learn how to make the most of Thinkfinity tools. Triangle Coalition member, the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation. . |
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Public confidence in America's public schools and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) declined in 2008, according to findings from the second annual national survey by Education Next (Hoover Institution) and the Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) at Harvard University. Results show that the public is now split over NCLB: half support leaving it as is or renewing it with minimal changes; half think it needs a major overhaul or should be done away with. The Education Next/PEPG findings come from a comprehensive and detailed nationwide survey of public attitudes. It is the only survey that also includes a large sample of teachers. Among the education related findings: . |
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| Over 300 teens and their chaperones from 20 countries recently gathered in Boston for a global Teen Summit, hosted by the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network. The youth leaders, ages 13 to 18 -- from the United States, and as far away as Russia, New Zealand, Jordan, Israel, South Africa, and Brazil -- used their technology skills, teamwork, and imagination to help create solutions for issues faced by their communities. Their common bond is they are all members of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, a creative out–of–school learning program, now in its 15th anniversary year, whose global headquarters is at the Museum of Science, Boston. The Teen Summit "ambassadors" were selected by their local Computer Clubhouse coordinators for outstanding leadership skills, technical and creative ability, and contributions to the community. They worked together on design projects that address socially conscious challenges such as reducing urban violence and improving the environment. They also had the opportunity to express their ideas with high-end technologies, such as graphic design, animation, digital art, music, radio and video documentaries, and 3-D modeling. Operating at over 100 sites in underserved communities around the world, the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is changing the lives of 25,000 young people a year. A recent survey, commissioned by the Museum of Science, funded by a grant from Intel, and conducted by SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute, shows that 76% of active Clubhouse members plan to continue their education after high school – – this against a backdrop of disturbing high school drop-out rates and low college participation for underserved youth. The 2008 Teen Summit was funded by the Intel Foundation, with additional support from Adobe Systems, the Equal Footing Foundation, MIT, the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, the Museum of Science, Boston, and Foróige, a leading youth services organization based in Ireland. More details about the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network are at www.computerclubhouse.org. The Museum of Science, Boston is also the base for Triangle Coalition member the National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL). NCTL's goal is to integrate engineering as a new discipline in schools nationwide and to inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators. More details are at www.mos.org/nctl. . |
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America's future scientists have just several weeks to register for the 2008-09 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Entries must be received by October 1. The Siemens Competition, established in 1999, awards college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 in both individual and team categories. The high schools of all students selected as regional finalists are also recognized with a $2,000 award per project. A signature program of the Siemens Foundation, the annual competition is administered by the College Board. Entries are judged at the regional level over three consecutive weekends in November by esteemed scientists and faculty at six leading research universities. Winners of the regional competitions are invited to compete at the National Finals, held at New York University in New York City December 4 - 8, 2008. The Siemens Competition attracts entries from high school science and math students nationwide. The $100,000 Grand Prize winners for 2007-08 represented the first young women to earn both the top individual and team prizes. Students may enter as individuals or members of a team. Online registration is available at www.siemens-foundation.org. . |
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| Hundreds of educators who specialize in undergraduate education recently convened in Washington, D.C., for a conference co-sponsored by AAAS to explore new methods for improving undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The 2008 Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) conference brought together an estimated 500 participants from across the country. Most were participants or stakeholders in a bold National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative to transform STEM teaching methods on campuses across the country. Since 1999, the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education has distributed grants to colleges and universities through its CCLI program, encouraging them to alter their STEM teaching methods. While traditional STEM teaching methods rely heavily on fact-laden lectures and laboratories, several new programs have found that student engagement increases when students are exposed to environments that encourage collaborative work and hands-on activities. The innovations developed by the CCLI grants are aimed at increasing science literacy and providing knowledge vital for students to participate in an increasing technological world. The 2008 conference focused on four main areas: creating new learning materials and teaching strategies; implementing successful educational innovations in curricula; assessing learning and evaluating innovations; and conducting additional research on STEM teaching and learning. While the meeting was invitation-only, AAAS and NSF will publish a report highlighting the exemplary programs and practices developed by the CCLI grantees. More details are online. . |
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TCEB Sponsors
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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