LOUISVILLE, KY (October 28, 2021) – Today, more than 35 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) educators from three school systems and11 secondary schools in two states gathered to attend the National Stem Cell Foundation’s first Mini STEM Conference at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) in New Albany, Indiana.
The teachers participated in an engaging and action-packed half-day of professional development that included hands-on science lessons and presentations by National STEM Scholar Program Co-Director Rico Tyler, 2021 National STEM Scholar Melissa Chesterfield, and nationally recognized IUS Elementary Science Education Professor Dr. Sumreen Asim. Participants left with multiple Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned lessons ready for immediate classroom use. Assuming these 35 teachers teach 150 students a year, more than 5,000 students will benefit from this single, exciting afternoon of “teachers-teaching-teachers!”
The event also marked the beta launch of the STEM Scholar Library, a digital library of project-based science lessons and custom curriculum developed especially for the National STEM Scholar Program. Its curated collection of educational tools and resources includes an initial catalogue of NGSS-aligned Challenge Project posters designed by National STEM Scholars and newly created STEM Shorts hosted by our own Rico Tyler. STEM Shorts are bite-sized, step-by-step video demonstrations of NGSS-aligned lessons that bring phenomena-based science and claim evidence reasoning into the classroom.
Thanks to generous support from the Old National Bank Foundation, Samtec Cares, and Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, all content is available free of charge for parents, students, and teachers in virtual and traditional classrooms worldwide. Click here to see this great new teacher resource.