If you鈥檝e had children in school during the 2020-2021 academic year, you may be relieved that this year鈥檚 summer break has finally come. Even as we look forward to a summer without as many restrictions, it鈥檚 important for us to remember the challenges of this past school year and that our children, our neighbors鈥� children and others in our communities may have some catching up to do this fall. 

According to Oxford Learning, there are significant losses in students鈥� math and reading skills during summer break. Two and a half months鈥� worth of math skills that students spend learning during the school year are lost over the summer. In reading, students lose two months of learning by the end of the summer. To make up for these losses, schools usually spend six weeks re-learning these skills in the fall. 

鈥淪ummer brain drain鈥� is real. And preventing it starts with us volunteering to stop it in its tracks. 

Be a volunteer

With many restrictions lifting, students are starting to gather for camps and learning programs, and most organizations need volunteers to help run these programs. This summer, students will be able to do in-person projects and hands-on activities they might have missed during the school year. These activities are fun and engaging for students, and from my experience, fun for adult volunteers, too. Seeing students鈥� faces light up after they鈥檝e learned HTML, built a robot or saw a cool chemical reaction makes the time you give to them invaluable. 

Being able to gather in person is also giving students access to resources they might not have had last summer. For example, Boys & Girls Clubhouses here in Arizona and around the nation are welcoming students back to their Centers of Innovation, where they will be able to use computers, 3D printers, coding software and much more to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects. They need professionals like us to show them what they can achieve with the right resources. Even if it鈥檚 not equipment we use every day, think of what we can achieve when we鈥檙e willing to learn alongside them. 

Share your skills

I鈥檝e volunteered for Tucson youth programs for several years, and one thing I鈥檝e learned is that diverse skills are useful in benefitting our youth. We can work directly with students. We can clean or organize classrooms. We can help with administrative tasks. We can help them develop curriculum. I鈥檝e done many of these different tasks and each time, it鈥檚 been a fulfilling experience. 

Right now, I鈥檓 putting my STEM knowledge and management skills to use by serving on the Tucson Boys & Girls Club board of directors. In this role, I can help shape the organization鈥檚 initiatives and summer programming. Summer interns from my employer, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, recently volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club to help students launch rockets they had built, which gave the students and our interns great opportunities to lead, connect and grow their engineering skills. 

If you鈥檙e wondering where to get started, I recommend checking out the pages of local nonprofits to see what they鈥檙e up to and how you can reach them. At work, connect with the corporate social responsibility team or your company leaders to see what they鈥檙e doing in the community. If your employer is like mine, you can find some ideas. Remember your resources, and use them to do good for our youth this summer, who need to keep learning and keep being reminded of their potential. 

Sam Deneke is vice president of business execution for Land Warfare & Air Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

The post Opinion: Summer brain drain is real, and we can stop it appeared first on 探花精选.

A new public-private partnership is fast tracking STEM community college grads into IT careers and four-year degrees to help meet an enormous demand for entry-level tech employees in corporate America.  

Competition for workers is so fierce that it鈥檚 common for IT workers to be 鈥減oached鈥� by other companies, said Leo Goncalves, vice president of Workforce Solutions Group for the University of Phoenix that has teamed up with Woz Enterprise and the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the program. 

鈥淓ven with the pandemic, IT jobs remain in demand and there is competition for finding resources,鈥� Goncalves said. 鈥淐ompanies are willing to throw money around for higher salaries. There鈥檚 a lot of poaching going around in the space, so companies don鈥檛 get a lot of retention out of the folks they hire.鈥�  

The new federally recognized apprenticeship program is designed to address both the intense need for entry level IT employees and to help companies retain those workers. 

鈥淥ld fashioned鈥� corporate practices back in play to retain workers

To do that, the corporations involved are 鈥済etting back to those older mindsets鈥� like paid apprenticeships, paid university tuition and university credits for the apprenticeship, said Chris Coleman, president of Woz Enterprise, a division of Arizona-based Woz U. 

The hope is that by providing financial incentives and on-site experience, participants will feel a sense of loyalty to the company and stick around, he said. 

Woz Enterprise builds and delivers the customized technology curricula that can result in credits toward a University of Phoenix Bachelor of Science degree in . 

For community college grads, the program offers a direct structured path to a job and a degree, typically at no cost to the student, Coleman said. The community college population fits into Woz U鈥檚 mission to make technology careers accessible to people who normally would not have that opportunity.

Infosys first corporate partner

The apprenticeship model launched this spring in Arizona and 10 other states in partnership with Infosys, a global leader in digital, IT, and consulting services. 

Selected candidates completed an eight-week pre-apprenticeship training program in one of seven technology tracks to gain essential day-one skills to start a career with one of Woz Enterprise鈥檚 recruiting business partners. 

Then as full-time junior associates, individuals participate in a structured online learning program for 12 months. During this time, they continue working and earning a salary, which increases as they gain key competencies. Training hours can be applied for college credit toward an IT degree at University of Phoenix. 

鈥淲e have all heard about the tech talent gap,鈥� Coleman said. 鈥淗undreds of companies have been trying to address it, yet here we are in 2020, and the gap remains. This apprenticeship model is the game-changer we have all been looking for.鈥� 

Students and companies wanting to learn more about the program, may visit: . 

The post STEM community college grads targeted for fast track path to IT careers appeared first on 探花精选.

Boeing announced Tuesday it would be donating grant packages totaling $48 million to charities around the world in observance of Giving Tuesday.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in the world and a leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. It supports commercial and government customers in 150 countries, with more than 150,000 employees worldwide.

The grants will support 404 charitable organizations in 50 countries, funding programs through 2020 and beyond, according to Boeing.

More than $700,000 of the company鈥檚 investment will go to 10 organizations in Arizona that help veterans in the community and inspire prospective aerospace scientists and engineers.

鈥淏oeing鈥檚 people bring to life our values and our enduring commitment to supporting the communities where we live and work,鈥� said Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of .

Boeing says its employees amplify the aircraft manufacturer鈥檚 giving: By the end of 2019, Boeing employees will have donated nearly $40 million to charitable causes, bringing total employee contributions to $350 million in the past 10 years.

In 2018, Boeing鈥檚 4,300 Arizona employees volunteered 11,000 hours mentoring FIRST Lego League and Robotics teams, building school gardens and helping veterans write resumes to help them re-enter civilian life, according to a company representative.

鈥淭hrough their close collaboration, our teams and community partners are working to inspire the next generation of aerospace innovators, support our veterans and create lasting change in the communities we call home,鈥� Muilenburg said.

The Giving Tuesday charitable grants package includes $8 million for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and workforce development programs that help build a 鈥渢alent pipeline鈥� of civil aviation pilots and maintenance technicians, according to Boeing.

Boeing鈥檚 Pilot and Technician Outlook 2019-2038 that 804,000 new civil aviation pilots, 769,000 new maintenance technicians and 914,000 new cabin crew personnel will be needed to fly and maintain the world鈥檚 fleet over the next 20 years.

The includes the commercial aviation, business aviation and civil helicopter industries.

鈥淎t Boeing, were committed to helping students succeed,鈥� said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement. 鈥淲e want students to know that their future belongs to them 鈥� it has no boundaries.鈥�

The company also committed $800,000 to launch the first Newton Flight Academy in Turkey in 2020, expanding on the existing Newton Europe in Spain and Poland that launched this year. The program teaches STEM skills to high school students through hands-on methods; grant dollars will support a permanent classroom in Turkey that includes three full-motion Boeing flight simulators.

鈥淲e believe our success as innovators depends on everyone coming together to inspire the next generation to share in our aerospace advancements,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檙e investing more than 50 percent of our philanthropic dollars to fund programs in the U.S. and abroad.鈥�

A previously announced $10 million for veterans鈥� recovery and rehabilitation programs, as well as workforce transition services, is also included in the $48 million investment.

Giving Tuesday is a started in 2011 to create an international day of charitable giving immediately following Thanksgiving and the Black Friday sale shopping weekend.

To see a full list of Boeing鈥檚 grant partners, .

The post Boeing announces $48M charitable grants package for nonprofits worldwide appeared first on 探花精选.

Grand Canyon University has been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).

The private university was designated as a CAE-CD by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for working to reduce vulnerability in National Information Infrastructure through higher education.

鈥淥ftentimes, the government sector will recruit from schools that have this designation because they know they have been vetted by the NSA and DHS as an approved program,鈥� Grand Canyon University (GCU) Associate Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology Heather Monthie said. 鈥淭his opens up opportunities within the government sector, like the Department of Defense, NSA, DHS and organizations like the CIA to our students.鈥�

There are currently more cybersecurity jobs available than people to fill them, according to the White House鈥檚 National Cyber Strategy. GCU is working to combat that through multiple online and on-campus programs.

The programs that help produce qualified cyber defense individuals include the school鈥檚 CAE-CD designated Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with an emphasis in Cybersecurity and its state-of-the-art Cyber Center of Excellence, which gives students and the public a hands-on learning opportunity.

鈥淭his is a big deal. This is essentially the NSA and DHS鈥檚 stamp of approval on our cybersecurity program,鈥� Monthie added. 鈥淭hey approve of everything that鈥檚 in our program and the fact that we have cybersecurity integrated into other programs.鈥�

GCU has also started hosting virtual career fairs for students who attend a school that has a CAE-CD designation. The fair will include employers such as the NSA, IBM, Air Force Civilian Service and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Photo by GrandCanyonU via Wikimedia Commons.

The post GCU recognized as a leader in cyber defense by national agencies appeared first on 探花精选.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, last week championed a bill that advances Arizona鈥檚 space priorities, in part by supporting the University of Arizona鈥檚 NEOCam mission and the, which will include Arizona State University鈥檚 鈥淢astcam-Z鈥� mounted camera system.

鈥淏y investing in America鈥檚 leadership in space, our bipartisan bill strengthens our national security and creates economic opportunities for Arizonans,鈥� Sinema said.

Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., also backed the bill.

Before finalizing the bill 鈥� the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2019 鈥� Sinema met with Arizona stakeholders, including leadership from and, to ensure the bill secures her state鈥檚 priorities.

Thursday, Sinema voiced her support for important partnerships between NASA and Arizona universities at a Senate Aviation and Space Subcommittee hearing. She is a ranking member of the subcommittee.

Sinema also emphasized a strong need for an effective science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education pipeline to continue advancing the nation鈥檚 space and national security interests.

鈥淣ASA and universities must work together to develop a 21st-century workforce to continue our leadership in space and ensure our economy remains innovative and strong,鈥� she said.

Sinema requested the hearing in order to highlight the value of NASA鈥檚 partnerships with ASU, UArizona and Northern Arizona University.

The senior senator invited Dr. Linda Tarbox Elkins-Tanton, an ASU professor who is leading the, to share her experiences as a principal investigator and the way her work advances NASA鈥檚 scientific and exploration goals, creating opportunities for students to develop skills that help them succeed in the space industry.

According to Sinema鈥檚 office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2019 will do the following:

• Ensure NASA can establish University Affiliated Research Centers 鈥� long-term research partnerships with universities that lead NASA projects and missions,
• Give NASA contract authority to partner with universities on missions that help university space programs grow,
• Establish the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which will fund the construction of UArizona鈥檚 Near-Earth Object Camera (NEOCam),
• Require NASA to create an outreach program to encourage high school students to pursue STEM careers, building Arizona鈥檚 space workforce,
• Direct NASA to complete the James Webb Space Telescope 鈥� a follow-up to the Hubble Space Telescope that includes UArizona鈥檚 Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) 鈥� as soon as possible,
• Authorize NASA to complete its Mars 2020 mission 鈥� ASU鈥檚 Mastcam-Z is the main navigation camera on the Mars 2020 rover 鈥� and work on the Mars Sample Return Mission, and
• Require NASA to provide funding for small satellite launches conducting science missions, such as the ones developed by ASU, UArizona and NAU.

The post Sinema introduces NASA bill, supports STEM education pipeline appeared first on 探花精选.

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers hosted its 45th annual national convention from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, bringing thousands of people from across the nation together at the Phoenix Convention Center.

SHPE is an organization dedicated to empowering the national Hispanic community to realize its academic and professional potential in order to impact the world through STEM awareness and development.

The national organization has more than 11,000 members, 230 chapters and hundreds of sponsor organizations throughout the United States, including 3M, Google and Chevron.

“The SHPE 2019 Convention in Phoenix wasn’t just successful, it was a game-changing event,鈥� said Raquel Tamez, CEO of SHPE, after the event. 鈥淲e had a record-breaking 9,200 attendees, 620 interview booths and hundreds of SHPE members walking away with new jobs. I could not be prouder of everyone who made this incredible week possible.”

The convention featured five conferences: a pre-college convention for middle and high school students who can participate in STEM-related activities; the 鈥淪HPEtina鈥� conference featuring female members and attendees; the academic conference, which hosted undergraduate and graduate students, professors, advisors and deans of various universities; the professional conference for professionals within STEM fields; and the technology in innovation conference which hosted competitions including a hackathon, the Nissan Design Challenge and 鈥渆xtreme engineering.鈥�

The conference had almost 300 organizations represented on the career expedition floor recruiting for internships, jobs and graduate programs. The organizations had more than 600 interview booths and made job offers on sight.

Top sponsors this year included Honeywell and American Express, which offered SHPE members coveted positions. The convention also saw 40 Fortune 100 companies.

According to SHPE, it is too early to determine specific numbers, but it is safe to say hundreds of jobs were offered during the event.

The convention held its inaugural Star Awards Gala Saturday evening, in which it featured two outstanding STEM leaders.

Tamez said this is the first year featuring an award named after Ellen Ochoa, the first and only Latina astronaut; at future events, SHPE will give the award to exceptional leaders in aerospace.

This is the second year that SHPE awarded the Rub茅n Hinojosa STEM Champion Award, named after the former Democratic congressman from Texas. Silvia Acedo, CEO of Girl Scouts USA, received the award this year.

鈥淎s a Latina myself, I鈥檓 very excited that these two preeminent star awards are being awarded to two Latinas,鈥� Tamez said.

Tamez emphasized the mutually beneficial relationship between the City of Phoenix and SHPE. By creating new jobs and drawing more attention to STEM fields, SHPE helps fuel the local economy, and Phoenix has been a supportive and accommodating host for the organization, she said.

鈥淧hoenix has been so warm and welcoming and receptive and helpful and supportive,鈥� Tamez said. 鈥淲e really do want to have a positive impact on the cities we come into by engaging all year long and supporting local businesses, and I like to think we are doing that鈥� This is monumental for us, and here in Phoenix, too, because we have a really strong relationship and really large active chapters here in Phoenix, especially at [Arizona State University].鈥�

Tamez and her team are already planning for the 2020 conference, which will revolve around 鈥渢ranscendence of transformation鈥� in the Hispanic community.

鈥淓very year, we鈥檙e bringing in more members, more attendees, more exhibitors, more sponsorships, more interview booths, more sessions 鈥� it鈥檚 just getting bigger and more impactful,鈥� Tamez said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e able to have a greater impact, and that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�

The post Phoenix hosts annual convention for national Hispanic STEM community appeared first on 探花精选.

For more than 60 years, a nonprofit academy started by 150 Arizona-based scientists has stimulated science research to benefit the Southwest and nudged students out of their shells into science careers, many in Arizona.

This year, the academy reached across the border for the first time to include students from the Universidad Aut贸noma in Baja California, Mexico.

Today, the organization is called the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. Nevada-based researchers and universities joined in 1977 to unify scientific interests for the unique desert region.

Research from both states is published in the academy鈥檚 peer-reviewed journal of scientific research, the Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Science Academy.

Students, teachers given steps up

Each year, the nonprofit academy hosts an annual conference where faculty, students and others lecture about their research. High school and college students have the opportunity to receive scholarships, grants and awards, and awards are also given to outstanding teachers and leaders in science.

Students are encouraged to network with other students and potential employers.

鈥淭he annual ANAS conference is one of the most student-friendly regional scientific conferences in the country,鈥� said the academy鈥檚 board president, Paula Rivadeneira, a professor in the Department of Soil, Water, & Environmental Science at the University of Arizona in Yuma.

鈥淔or many of our students, it is their first time traveling away from home and their first time public speaking,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll students are eligible for awards, which is amazing for their self-esteem and professional development.鈥�

Famous ANAS scholarship recipients

Many scholarship recipients have gone on to have major impacts in Arizona and the world.

Among them is the late Milton Sommerfeld, the 鈥淲izard of Ooze.鈥� Sommerfeld conducted groundbreaking research involving algae as a professor at Arizona State University and served as co-director of the .

Much of his legacy lies in the inception of the Laboratory of Algae Research and Biotechnology, the first national test bed for outdoor algae cultivation. Sommerfeld was instrumental in developing the Algae Testbed Public Private Partnership, which researchers and companies use for third-party technology verification.

Another famous recipient is the late Peter Ffolliott, a professor emeritus of watershed management at the University of Arizona in the

Ffolliott鈥檚 work in watershed, forestry and sustainable natural resource management has impacted communities and natural resource managers worldwide.

Yuma: shining star in agriculture highlighted this year

At the annual ANAS conference, participants learn about research on topics such as desert soil enrichment, plants that thrive in extreme heat and the Zika virus.

This year, the event was held in Yuma for the first time, highlighting the city鈥檚 prosperous farming community.

Known as the Lettuce Capital of the World, Yuma produces 90 percent of all leafy vegetables grown in the nation from November through March. Its agribusiness sector pumps $3.2 billion into the local economy annually, according to the .

The source of that impressive output lies in cutting-edge technology and rich soil, fed by sediments deposited by the Colorado River over millions of years.

鈥淥ur farmers are brilliantly smart. They understand everything about agriculture, from agronomy to advanced mathematics, to figure out how much fertilizer they need, what plant pathogens they are dealing with and how much of our scarce resources, like water, they need to use,鈥� Rivadeneira said. 鈥淭hey really are very science-based, but not many people think of farming that way.鈥�

Inviting university students from Mexico

This was the first time the academy extended an invitation to students in Mexico.

鈥淲ith all of the negative news about our border, particularly here in Yuma County, I felt strongly about reaching out to my colleagues to the south to let them know that we value them as neighbors and as scientists,鈥� Rivadeneira said.

In another first, local businesses paid all students鈥� conference costs in exchange for free advertising at the event, she said.

Energizing the academy鈥檚 work to promote science careers

Rivadeneira said she is working to create more public awareness and excitement about the academy as it nears its 65th anniversary in 2021.

鈥淭here is a renewed excitement about ANAS these days, because we are recruiting younger, more technologically-savvy board members and implementing new and innovative ideas to make our annual conference an even more exciting professional development and networking opportunity for students,鈥� she said.

About ANAS

ANAS is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. Its is comprised of professors, researchers and scientists from colleges, universities, organizations and agencies from Arizona and Nevada. Scholarships, grants, awards and events are all supported by membership dues and private donations.

To learn more about the academy, .

The post Nonprofit academy has fueled science education in the Southwest for 60+ years appeared first on 探花精选.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has granted Phoenix College nearly $1.5 million to support integrating research, mentoring and industry collaborations to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) recruitment and retention among minority students at the college. The grant comes as part of the first round of grants from the NSF鈥檚 Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions program, also known as the HSI program.

鈥淭he National Science Foundation has a strong commitment to promoting the health, prosperity and welfare of the nation by broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,鈥� said Dr. Talitha Washington, co-lead program director of the NSF HSI program.

Phoenix College had to meet a rigorous set of merit requirements to be chosen for the competitive HSI grant.

鈥淎ll proposals for HSI funding go through NSF鈥檚 gold-standard merit review process that identifies which projects to support,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淭hat process considers both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF鈥檚 mission.鈥�

Phoenix College is part of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), one of the largest community college systems in the United States. Out of a total of 10 campuses, all of which are regionally-accredited, six are now designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and more will follow.

鈥淲hat is really great about our colleges is that we serve a large percentage of Hispanic students, and many of them are first-generation college students,鈥� said Robin Cotter, professor of biosciences at Phoenix College and one of the primary project team members who authored the NSF grant proposal.

Maricopa Community College faculty used their free time to form the grant proposal in the hope that they might introduce their students to more research opportunities that will better prepare them for the workforce, Cotter said.

鈥淢any of us come from research backgrounds, and we know that helping our students make connections with industry and university partners is key to their success as they move along that pathway toward their career,鈥� Cotter said. 鈥淪o we decided to take our free time 鈥� we weren鈥檛 paid to do this 鈥� and we worked together to develop this application. It included faculty from biology, psychology, math, geology, physics; and we all worked together to develop this proposal that then competed at the national level.鈥�

This is the first time this particular grant has been offered by the NSF to HSIs nationwide. Among the applicants were community colleges and universities, including Research I (R1) Universities 鈥� highly competitive research institutions. The grant will fund Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) for students at Phoenix College, and the program is expected to impact more than 3,000 community college students.

The MCCCD schools have teaching laboratories but no independent research labs, inadvertently withholding vital opportunities from students hoping to find careers in STEM fields. The CURE model inserts research directly into community college coursework.

鈥淲e decided that since we couldn鈥檛 give our students independent research opportunities, we were going to embed it into our curriculum,鈥� Cotter said. 鈥淎nd nationwide, they鈥檙e telling us that embedding practical applications of knowledge is the best way to teach students and prepare them.鈥�

Phoenix College is already partnering with local businesses and governments to create opportunities for students to build practical skills. At the request of industry leaders, the college is making workforce training a core part of its curriculum, putting students in touch with industry partners within the first two years of their academic careers.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to say that we鈥檙e partnering with the City of Surprise and their water treatment plant,鈥� Cotter said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to identify ways that we can look for micro-plastics and other pollutants in our water system, and then we鈥檙e going to have the students work on ways of removing them in order to improve water quality across the region.鈥�

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is another partner. Students who work with the USDA will look at the impact of environmental factors, including pesticides, on the survival of crop pollinators such as honeybees.

鈥淭he honeybee population is important to the agricultural community here in Arizona and nationwide,鈥� Cotter said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e going to be working with the USDA, based out of Tucson, and the students will be studying what actually impacts honeybee health and how this can be resolved so that we can maintain these pollinators that are necessary for our agricultural community.鈥�

One of the NSF鈥檚 goals is to gain a better understanding of how to enhance undergraduate STEM education at HSIs, Washington said.

鈥淭he HSI program seeks to increase the number of STEM undergraduate students, who ultimately will become STEM professionals,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淚t seeks to increase retention and graduation rates for STEM students at HSIs and to increase the number of STEM educators and students at HSIs that have little or no prior NSF funding.鈥�

Phoenix College received the NSF grant as the result of faculty-driven collaboration between all 10 MCCCD campuses, Cotter said.

鈥淲e recognize the need to train our students for the workforce, and that it鈥檚 really built on community partnerships, and we encourage anybody who wants to be involved to reach out to us,鈥� Cotter said.

The post Phoenix College receives $1.5 million grant to support STEM education for minorities appeared first on 探花精选.

First launched in 2012, the Rural Communities Expansion Project (RCEP) at the Arizona Science Center took aim at the lack of science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) programs and resources in rural school districts throughout Arizona. The goal was to create a hands-on learning environment in these small schools and communities and expand the footprint of technology in the classroom.

Fast-forward to 2018 and the program now reaches schools in Cottonwood, Oak Creek, Humboldt, Winslow, Prescott, Sedona, Tonopah, and Florence. And now, the RCEP is getting another much-needed financial boost with a sizeable $1 million grant from the APS Foundation.

The program focuses on providing fun and active opportunities for teachers and students to combine creativity with STEM skills. When it comes to STEM resources, rural communities have traditionally been lacking.

鈥淢any times, teachers in the rural areas are tasked with teaching more than one subject and simply lack the confidence to execute lesson plans,鈥� says Dr. Rob Robertson of the Science Center. 鈥淲hat our academic coaches provide is more background on lessons/subject, ideas of how to better instruct and overall how to inspire and engage their students to really enjoy STEM.鈥�

According to the Science Center, the RECP provides 鈥減rofessional development for teachers, training for administrators and half-day student programs featuring hands-on STEM projects such as a mobile planetarium, catapult construction, and roller coaster building.鈥�

The six-year partnership between the APS Foundation and the Arizona Science Center has only gotten stronger with the grant. It will help sustain the program for the next five years and allows an expansion into Cochise and Yuma counties. Altogether, with this new grant, there has been nearly $2.5 million awarded to the program as it helps K-8 teachers and students with STEM projects and all-day events.

This past December, Holbrook Unified School District put together a six-day STEM-based program packed with STEM activities.

A huge push behind supplying education and resources in the rural communities that goes beyond bolstering science in the classroom is to prepare students for better jobs in the future.

鈥淥ur future workforce depends on the youth of today as technological advances continue to聽change the landscape of our society, economy and jobs, so it is imperative that students have access to quality STEM programming so they don鈥檛 fall behind in school and eventually in the workforce,鈥� says Robertson.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook for STEM employment is projected to grow by about 13 percent by 2022. Moreover, the 聽touts that STEM workers will see a pay advantage compared with non-STEM workers, even with similar education levels.

At this point, the Science Center鈥檚 program has helped more than 400 teachers bring STEM education through active learning opportunities to 10,500 students. Altogether, 15 schools and nine districts have been impacted by this and have seen a growth in interest in STEM. These districts were targeted due to lack of resources for STEM education, and now represent the growing development of tech in the classroom.

鈥淎s we empower teachers (and administrators) to better understand the STEM subject they are teaching and provide them with the tools to be successful,鈥� notes Robertson, 鈥渢hey are more likely to stay in the classroom for many years to come and create that continuum of consistency to provide students with a better education.鈥�

The post Arizona Science Center receives $1 million grant for STEM education appeared first on 探花精选.