May 2020 STEM Education Newsletter

STEM Education Updates from the U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education (ED or the Department) hopes this STEM newsletter will serve as constant source of opportunity, inspiration, and resources. The Department also maintains resources on its STEM landing page, including funding opportunities and archives of monthly STEM briefings. You can manage your subscription and you are encouraged to invite your colleagues and friends to sign up as well!   The Department welcomes your feedback and questions. Please feel free to share them at STEM@ed.gov.

Table of Contents
Good News Stories
Coronavirus Updates
Open ED Grant Opportunities
ED News
Federal Agency Updates
New Reports
Student Opportunities

Good News Stories

Teachers, Students. Parents Unite as PPE Makers
Known as “The Shield Team 2020,” a group of energized yet distant teachers, students and parents joined forces to create Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) face shields for those on the front lines battling COVID-19. The team has expanded to 27 states, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, producing over 30 thousand shields to date by hand with and without 3D printers and 3-hole punched plastic sheets.  To learn more go here mrscottbot.org  or #theshieldteam2020 on Twitter.

Shout Out to Teachers
May 4–8, 2020, was National Teacher Appreciation Week. “To all of our outstanding teachers across the country, Happy National #TeacherAppreciationWeek!” Secretary DeVos declared on social media. “This administration is so grateful for all you do to support, encourage and inspire our nation’s students!”  Additionally, in a video, the Secretary said, “While great teachers deserve our gratitude every week, I want to take a few moments to especially celebrate and thank you this week. Thank you for all you do to keep your students learning, engaged, and connected.”

 (See announcement below for the inaugural Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award awardees!) 

A few examples of thanks to our STEM teachers: NASA STEM Education posted a thank you video; NSF posted Presidential Awardees messages; and 100Kin10 issued a Love Letter to teachers.

And President Trump released his Presidential Message on National Teacher Day, 2020 (May 5), in  which he “recognize[d] the countless men and women who dedicate their lives to instilling character, integrity, and knowledge in the hearts and minds of our Nation’s students.” The message concluded, “Teachers help shape the minds of children during their most impressionable years, strengthen and support their communities, and develop the leaders of tomorrow. Today, we pay tribute to these extraordinary and thoughtful men and women and thank them for their compassionate service to their communities and country.”

Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and CARES Act Information
The White House, the Department of Education, and other federal agencies continue to release and update a significant amount of guidance to support schools, educators, and families regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus). The Department maintains and updates its ed.gov/coronavirus page with information for students, families, educators, schools and institutions of higher education. The federal government provides information on Coronavirus.gov, CDC.gov/coronavirus, and USA.gov/coronavirus. The President has released his Guidelines for Opening Up America Again and EPA offers Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes .

On March 27, the President signed The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. The CARES Act establishes the $30 billion Education Stabilization Fund (ESF). Secretary DeVos has released the ESF funding in several tranches to distribute emergency cash grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted; support continued education at America’s colleges and universities; provide emergency education block grants for governors to ensure education continues for student of all ages; support continued education for K-12 students; launch a new grant competition to spark student-centered, agile learning opportunities; and deliver funds to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions, and colleges and universities serving low-income students. 

Please direct education-related questions to COVID-19@ed.gov.

Continuity of Learning Resources
The Comprehensive Center Network published a set of learning resource collections, including resources for school leaders, LEAs, SEAs, offline use, educators, families and others.

Equity Assistance Centers
The Department’s Equity Assistance Centers (EAC) have created a variety of resources to provide support in creating equitable education opportunities during the COVID-19 crisis. These include a facilitated discussion with students on how COVID-19 is affecting their educational experiences, webinars for equitable practices in online learning, ideas on how to ensure equity in distance learning opportunities, and advice from teachers and principals on how to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

Evidence-Based Remote Teaching & Learning Resources
The Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Educational Lab (REL) Working Group on COVID-19 Response just released a new webpage that features evidence-based resources and guidance about teaching and learning in a remote environment, as well as other considerations brought by the pandemic. It also includes registration information for upcoming REL webinars. Subscribe to their Newsflash to stay up to date.

Charter School Resource Center for COVID-19
The National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) has created a webpage of resources to support Charter School Programs (CSP) grantees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources include available federal guidance as well as links to share how other grantees are supporting schools, students, and families during COVID-19.

Continuity of Learning Resources
The Comprehensive Center Network published four new continuity of learning resource collections last week, including resources for offline use, resources for online use, resources for educators, and resources for families.

Equity Assistance Centers
The Department’s Equity Assistance Centers (EAC) have created a variety of resources to provide support in creating equitable education opportunities during the COVID-19 crisis. These include a facilitated discussion with students on how COVID-19 is affecting their educational experiences, webinars for equitable practices in online learning, ideas on how to ensure equity in distance learning opportunities, and advice from teachers and principals on how to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

Evidence-Based Remote Teaching & Learning Resources
The Cross- Regional Education Lab (REL) Working Group on COVID-19 Response just released a new webpage that features evidence-based resources and guidance about teaching and learning in a remote environment, as well as other considerations brought by the pandemic. It also includes registration information for upcoming REL webinars. Subscribe to their Newsflash to stay up to date.

Charter School Resource Center for COVID-19
The National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) has created a webpage of resources to support Charter School Programs (CSP) grantees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources include available federal guidance as well as links to share how other grantees are supporting schools, students, and families during COVID-19.

Open ED Grant Opportunities

Migrant Education Program Consortium Incentive Grant (MEP-CIG) Program
The purpose of the MEP CIG program is to provide incentive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) that participate in a consortium with one or more other SEAs or other appropriate entities to improve the delivery of services to migratory children whose education is interrupted. The application deadline has been extended to May 27, 2020.

Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)
The MSAP provides grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and consortia of LEAs to support magnet schools under an approved, required, or voluntary desegregation plan. Through the implementation of high-demand programming, using sophisticated technology and curricula, magnet schools have often served as a conduit for innovative, theme-based instruction. For example, 61 percent of the 145 schools currently supported by MSAP grants include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) themes in their programming, which aligns with the Secretary's Supplemental Priority 6, Promoting STEM Education. The application deadline may be extended to June 25, 2020.

Ready to Learn (RTL) Programming
The purpose of RTL programming is to promote school readiness through the development and dissemination of accessible instructional programming for preschool and elementary school children and their families. This grant contains an invitational priority for, in part, exposing children to future career and workforce options. The application deadline has been extended to June 15, 2020. 

Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED)
The new SEED grant competition provides funding to increase the number of highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices that prepare, develop, or enhance the skills of educators. These grants will allow eligible entities to develop, expand, and evaluate practices that can serve as models to be sustained and disseminated. It contains a STEM competitive priority.   A series of pre-application webinars designed to provide technical assistance are available at online. The deadline for applications is June 12, 2020. 

Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Mid-Phase Grant
This EIR grant provides funding to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students; and rigorously evaluate such innovations. The Department estimates it will issue 16-20 awards totaling approximately $178.6 million.  There is an Absolute Priority that focuses on STEM and computer science. The application package is due June 15, 2020.

Expanding Access to Well-Rounded Courses Demonstration Grants
This new Title IVA demonstration grant is open to state education agencies to help expand student access to well-rounded courses. There is considerable evidence that students across the country lack access to a variety of course offerings, particularly those related to the arts, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science; career and technical education; and advanced level coursework. The Department anticipates issuing 2-4 awards totaling approximately $6.5 million. The application package is due June 26, 2020.

Competitive Grants for State Assessments
This federal register notice announces a new grant for state education agencies to develop, evaluate and implement innovative assessments. The Department anticipates issuing 3-6 awards totaling approximately $12.3 million. There are 3 absolute priorities including implementing, planning and developing innovative assessment item types and design approaches for summative assessments in language arts, mathematics or science. Section 1201 of ESSA allows states to use these funds to embed engineering into their science assessments. The application package is due June 30, 2020.  

Institute of Education Sciences (IES) FY2021 Grants
This federal register notice announces four Education Research grants and four Special Education Research grants, each include STEM as an area of interest. The application packages will be made available June 11, 2020 and the deadlines are August 20, 2020. 

New Applicant Information Resources
The Department recently published new applicant information resources.  These resources were developed to (1) provide an overview of the discretionary (or competitive) grants application process at the Department and (2) are intended to be used by prospective applicants, including new potential grantees, for the Department’s discretionary grant programs that have never received a grant from the Department and those that are interested in learning more about the process. Additionally, they support one of the Secretary’s new administrative priorities on New Potential Grantees that was published in March 2020.  Funding Basics 101  and Funding 101 can be found on the ED’s Grants webpage under the “Other Grant Information” section.  One version provides basic information while the other provides a bit more detail for those who need it. 

Call for Peer Reviewers
The Department is seeking peer reviewers for our Fiscal Year 2020 competitive/discretionary grant season, including in the STEM/CS areas (among others).  You can read our Federal Register notice which spotlights the specific needs of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). Learn how to be considered as a peer reviewer.

ED News

Secretary DeVos Honors Two Educators with Inaugural Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Secretary DeVos announced on May 11, 2020 that Donna Woods and Kara Four Bear have been selected as the inaugural Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award awardees. This award recognizes Ms. Woods, of Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, California, and Ms. Four Bear, of New Town Middle School in New Town, North Dakota, for instilling in their students the skills, knowledge, and passion for cybersecurity.  They were selected based on their demonstration of superior educator accomplishment, academic achievement indicators, and leadership contributing to educational excellence in the area of cybersecurity.  This award was established on May 2, 2019, by President Trump’s Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce. The U.S. Department of Education was charged in creating this award within one year and in consultation with the Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the National Security Council and the National Science Foundation. The 2021 nomination process will be announced later this year.

ED Featured in National Science Foundation INCLUDES Blog
The Department was recently featured in the NSF INCLUDES national network blog series.  The post highlights the Departments efforts to broaden participation in STEM education and careers.  The NSF INCLUDES Network is composed of over 1,000 members—representing various types of institutions, professional associations, funders, and businesses who are committed to broadening participation in STEM—who participate in the Network to learn about and share best practices, strengthen their capacity and that of others, and advance the national movement to achieve equitable access to STEM education and career opportunities.  Anyone interested in improving diversity and inclusion in STEM can learn more by going to the NSF INCLUDES National Network website.

Office of Educational Technology Launches New Blog Series
In response to school closures, the Keep Calm and Connect All Students blog series will share reflection questions, highlight promising solutions, and describe effective practices to support remote learning measures. Each week will focus on a new theme geared toward families, learners, educators, and system leaders.

Input Sought for Digital Learning Guides 
The Department’s Office of Educational Technology plans to release digital learning guides for parents, educators, and school/district leaders, highlighting examples and promising practices when using technology for remote learning. As the guides take shape, the Department would like to hear from stakeholders by May 22, 2020 to share immediate and long-term needs, as well as successes and challenges in digital learning. Please share your stories, examples and questions by emailing tech@ed.gov and designate the specific guide in the subject line (i.e., Parent or Teacher or Leader).

Free Online Professional Learning and STEM Content for Out of School Learning and 21st Century Community Learning Centers
The Department’s 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Technical Assistance website “You for Youth” was designed for out of school educators -- and the courses are free to the public, including classroom educators, parents and other caregivers. With fifteen course topics ranging from STEM, Citizen Science, Project-Based Learning and Family Engagement, there’s something for everyone. In addition, the Department is collaborating with other federal agencies [the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Park Service (NPS)] to provide exciting STEM learning opportunities for students in 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs.

Science is Cool Virtual Unconference (Part 2) May 21, 2020
Remote Control: get a handle on distance STEM learning
Nearly 3,000 educators registered for the first Science is Cool (ScIC) Virtual Unconference to hear from 10 different organizations on how to keep making science cool in the classroom, so they are hosting another event. Join second Unconference presenters for practical advice that you can use in your digital classroom or at home.

Announcing New T4PA Technical Assistance Center
The Title IV Part A Technical Assistance Center (T4PA Center) provides state education agencies (SEAs) with dedicated support for implementing the Title IV Part A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program. The T4PA Center provides SSAE state coordinators assistance across the program’s diverse content areas, including promoting a well-rounded education (including STEM), improving the safety and health of students, and supporting the effective use of technology. In partnership with ED, the T4PA Center works with state coordinators to identify grant implementation needs, develop a tailored plan to address these needs, and broker support to build capacity at the state and local levels to help ensure Title IV-A programmatic success.

Reinvent ED.gov Challenge
The Department is seeking proposals for the redesign of ED.gov. The winning proposal(s) will incorporate accessible content for desktop, mobile, and tablet users; integrated social media, RSS feeds, and subscription services; an elegant, clean, user-centered look and feel; strong, consistent agency branding; new and innovative tools that enhance user experience; and engaging and easy-to-navigate pages. The design must use the agency’s existing color scheme and seal and be in compliance with all federal standards. The Department is offering a prize of up to $50,000 for the winning design. Highly rated participants may be invited to present their prototype to a panel of subject matter experts, and designers will have an opportunity to compete for the concept implementation contract. The deadline for submissions is June 15.

Federal Agency Updates

National Institutes of Health – STEM Learning Resources
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers free PK-12 STEM virtual learning resources via the Science Education Partnership Award program, including apps, interactives, and curricula. Pathways, a collaboration between NIGMS and Scholastic, provides a student magazine, lesson plans, activities, and videos about basic science and research careers. NIGMS also has additional science education resources, ranging from articles and fact sheets to images and videos.  You can learn more by going on Twitter and Facebook.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Virtual Mentoring and Training
Offices around the country may be closed to the Coronavirus pandemic, but SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers and other resource partners are providing free business mentoring and training, which includes STEM professions, by phone, email, and video. Find an SBA resource partner near you.

Patents 4 Partnerships
The U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) launched a new Intellectual Property marketplace platform, Patents 4 Partnerships, which is a centralized, searchable database of patent and published patent applications from federal agencies, universities, and private industry, which have been voluntarily indicated as “available for licensing” by the patent owners. The initial focus is on technologies related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19, including, for example, PPE, disinfectants, ventilators, testing equipment, and components thereof.  The goal is to bring together those who have technologies and want to make them available for licensing and those who have an interest in and the ability to commercialize the technologies.  Send questions or comments to IPMarketplace@uspto.gov.

NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants
These grants support planning efforts necessary to build capacity to establish future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks endeavoring to address a broadening participation challenge in STEM at scale.  A pre-recorded informational webinar provides greater detail. Applications are due July 13, 2020.

NPS/NASA Junior Ranger
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA partnered with NPS to develop three Junior Ranger Space Tech Explorer activities. The activities explore what NASA and our national parks have in common and how space technology benefits your life, parks, and the planet. Written for students ages 5 to 12 and perfect for your next park or backyard adventure, you can download and print the free Junior Ranger Spaceflight Explorer guide.

New Reports

Do CTE Students Pursue Postsecondary Occupational Education?
The Department’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Data Point examined postsecondary education enrollment rates overall and in occupational areas of study, among 2013 public high school graduates as of 2016.  One finding is that, “after enrolling in postsecondary education, about three-quarters of CTE concentrators pursued an occupational field of study, but only about one-quarter were in a field aligned with their area of CTE concentration in high school.” Follow NCES on Twitter @EdNCES.

Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academies Press released a report last month recommending actions to address “entrenched patterns” of women being underrepresented across STEM disciplines and in leadership roles within fields. Although the report notes federal science agencies and other research organizations have made progress in addressing disparities, it calls on them to play a stronger role in catalyzing “culture change,” such as by formally auditing grantee diversity practices and modifying grant review criteria.

Broadening Participation in STEM
The NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub team released its first research brief called Evidence-based Strategies for Improving Equity and Inclusion of Individuals in Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups. The brief explores promising practices for broadening participation among racial/ethnic minorities in STEM and features numerous evidence-based strategies.

Study Finds that STEM College Students are Learning Just as Well in Online Courses as in Classrooms According to a new study by Cornell University, STEM college students learn just as much in online classes as they normally do in traditional brick-and-mortar ones. Researchers of the study divided 325 students into three different classroom styles for two courses: a fully online class; an in-person course at their local university; and, a blended version combining both. The research article, Online Education Platforms Scale College STEM Instruction with Equivalent Outcomes at Lower Cost, was published April 8, 2020 in Science Advances.

Student Opportunities

Kids Zone
The NCES Kids' Zone provides information to help you learn about schools; decide on a college; engage in several games, quizzes, and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians; and to learn many interesting facts about education. Watch this Kids' Zone video to find out more!

Army Education Outreach Program (AEOP)
AEOP offers our nation’s youth and teachers opportunities for meaningful, real-world STEM experiences, competitions, and paid internships alongside Army researchers.   From elementary school through graduate school, students of all proficiency levels, interests, social and economic backgrounds are encouraged to participate in real-world STEM experiences while also engaging with Army-sponsored mentors. AEOP-sponsored eCYBERMISSION is a web-based STEM competition for students in grades six through nine that enables all students to recognize the real-life applications of STEM. Students compete for State, Regional, and National Awards. This year marks the 18th anniversary of the competition. Whether you are a student, Team Advisor, or volunteer, you can register now for the eCYBERMISSION 2019-2020.

COVID-19! How Can I Protect Myself? The Smithsonian Science Education Center released a free guide for youth called, “COVID-19! How can I protect myself and others?” The goal of this 7-lesson module is to help youth engage directly in hands-on activities that they can do at home with simple materials to help them understand the underlying science (and social science) of COVID-19, with emotional support prompts throughout.

National K-12 Student Challenge
IES awardee Future Engineers launched a nation-wide challenge for K-12 students to submit entries to “invent a way to make someone smile or feel appreciated during COVID19.” Teachers or individual students can sign up to participate.