National Partnership for Student Success Launched The White House and Department are joining forces with leading education, youth, and service organizations to launch the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS), a new coalition that will support the expansion, launch and improvement of high-impact tutoring, mentoring and other programs to make up for lost instructional time, and support student mental health and overall wellbeing. Any of these efforts can focus on or include STEM programming. The NPSS follows President Biden’s call for more tutors and mentors in the 2022 State of the Union Address to help students recover from the pandemic and thrive.
Engage Every Student Every young person deserves both a quality education and the rich and varied opportunities and supports available in out-of-school time programs. With access to quality programs after school and during the summer, young people can explore their interests, including STEM careers, build relationships, and engage with their communities. Join U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the Afterschool Alliance, AASA, the School Superintendents Association, National League of Cities, National Summer Learning Association, and the National Comprehensive Center at Westat on Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 2:00 pm for a special event that will celebrate National Summer Learning Week and feature students, leaders and exemplary programs from school districts, cities, and afterschool and summer learning programs. Register today.
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Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Open for Nominations The call for nominations is now open to honor two K-12 teachers for excellence in cybersecurity education. Now in its third year, the award is part of a coordinated Federal effort to develop and maintain a superior cybersecurity workforce. Teachers are critical for preparing students with the skills needed to fortify our nation’s security and to succeed in the ever-evolving cybersecurity environment. Learn more about the award as well as review the rules, terms, and conditions and details on how to apply here. Nominations are due July 31, 2022.
Girls in STEM at the 21stCCLC Summer Symposium The Department’s 2022 Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Summer Symposium will convene grantees virtually July 19-21, 2022. The “Girls in STEM” plenary on July 19 will feature women at NASA, recent research, and advice from top practitioners. The Symposium will feature successful strategies that state education agencies (SEAs) and their grantees can use to implement and manage all components of a 21st CCLC program. Since this event is virtual, we are able accommodate others interested in out of school time (OST) learning to attend. Learning tracks include:
- Championing Equity and Justice
- College and Career Reimagined
- Fast Track to Learning: Engaging the Whole Child
- Great Leaders: Management, Leadership, and Sustainability
- Innovative Community and Family Connections
- Student Stories: Youth Discuss Program Impacts
- Taking Charge of Health: Strategies to Promote Wellness
- Virtual Teaching and Learning: Strategies
Review the agenda and register today.
Investing in Next Generation Education Technologies The Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, administered by the IES, funds entrepreneurial developers to create the next generation of technology products for students, teachers, and administrators in education and special education. IES just announced their new 2022 awardees. One trend that emerged, particularly in the STEM-related projects, is the focus on experiential and hands-on learning that combines hardware and software solutions to engage students through pedagogies employing game-based, hands-on, collaborative, or immersive learning. The list of all 2022 awards is posted here.
Science is Cool 9: Open Education Resources IES/SBIR grantee Pocket Lab is hosting an unconference dedicated to free and low-cost curricula, lessons, tools, and resources. Join STEM educators from around the world to hear from experts on how these resources can make an impact in your classroom. Don’t miss the keynote from Kari Byron and Jenny Buccowith special guest, Justin "Mr. Fascinate" Shaifer. Free professional development certificates will be sent to all who attend live. Register today for the August 5, 2022 event.
Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Grants Open The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the ITEST grants. The goal of this applied research and development program is to advance the equitable and inclusive integration of technology in the learning and teaching of STEM from pre-kindergarten through high school. Proposed ITEST projects are expected to: 1) engage students in technology-rich learning; 2) prioritize the full inclusion of groups who have been underrepresented and/or underserved; 3) motivate students to pursue technology-rich careers; and 4) leverage strategic and community partnerships. Applications are due August 12, 2022.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) National Summer Teacher Institute The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are pleased to host a virtual National Summer Teacher Institute on innovation, STEM, and intellectual property during the week of July 25-29, 2022. Participants are introduced to teacher-friendly materials designed to enhance student learning and inspire the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. They will be exposed to experiential training tools, practices, and project-based learning models to support elementary, middle, and high school teachers and increase their knowledge of inventing and innovating. Apply now!
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First Images from the James Webb Telescope On July 12, at 10:30 a.m. EDT, scientists from NASA and its partners will unveil the first full-color images from the most powerful space telescope ever built. Since its successful launch on Dec. 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been traveling to its observation point and calibrating its instruments. Now it is time to celebrate this historic milestone with exciting NASA resources. Get the James Webb Telescope STEM Tool Kit and visit NASA’s Space Place for kids. NASA offers a plethora of professional development opportunities to help educators inspire students of all ages.
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Simple Machines on the International Space Station NASA and the International Space Station are pleased to present the latest STEMonstration episode that invites students to learn about the six different types of simple machines and explore how astronauts aboard the International Space Station use simple and compound machines to complete tasks in microgravity. The Classroom Connection released with this video challenges students to explore their environment in search of simple and compound machines. For more STEMonstrations and activities, visit the STEM on Station website.
Science and Engineering in Preschool Through Elementary Grades The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASME) is hosting a series of webinars based on the recently released report Science and Engineering in Preschool Through Elementary Grades: The Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of Educators. Each webinar is designed to elevate several important themes described in the report—equity, early education, integration, teacher professional learning, and instructional practice—and will engage with leading scholars and stakeholders around these issues. Register for the next webinar is scheduled for July 21, 2022.
Apprenticeships as a Career Pathway for Youth The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) at the Department of Labor will offer a primer on the apprenticeship system and feature examples from the field in offering apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship experiences to youth and young adults. Learn about the apprenticeship system, components of high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs, and how apprenticeships compare to other models of work-based learning. Hear from groups on the ground who have implemented apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs for youth and young adults. Register today for the July 21, 2022 event.
ETA will host another webinar focused on Connecting Youth to Local Workforce Systems where you will hear from members of local workforce boards, one-stop American Job Centers, and youth service providers on strategies and examples of how the youth workforce system operates and serves youth and young adults. Register today for the July 27, 2022 event.
Inclusive STEM Teaching MOOC The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project, an NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program, is hosting a free six-week Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from October 3 - November 22, 2022 via edX. The course is designed to advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and the ability of faculty, postdocs, and doctoral students to cultivate inclusive STEM learning environments for all their students and to develop themselves as reflective, inclusive practitioners. Register for the online course this fall and feel free to share this flyer and 1-pager.
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New INCLUDES Brief features STEM Ecosystem The latest research brief, Equity-centered Leadership and Communication, from the NSF INCLUDES National Network, highlights how the Colorado STEM Ecosystem is building the capacity of small organizations across the state, while prioritizing inclusive leadership during the early phases of developing a geographically distributed broadening participation alliance. It also summarizes the current literature on the value of equity-centered STEM leadership and communication in cultivating transformational change.
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Clean Energy Workforce on the Rise The clean energy economy is a huge opportunity for communities and STEM workers. Jobs in the energy sector grew between 2020 and 2021 – up 4% compared to overall U.S. employment (2.8%) during the same period. Learn more about workers in the energy field in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) U.S. Energy and Employment Report. DOE plans to fund an $8 billion program to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) across America, as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The selection of the regional H2Hubs will amp up collaboration between hydrogen producers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure and consider factors such as environmental justice, community engagement, consent-based siting, equity, and workforce development.
DOE Hosts STEM Summer Camps DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) welcomed its first cohort of SAGE campers for a week of learning about careers at ORNL, hands-on STEM activities, and tours of ORNL facilities. SAGE, or Science Accelerating Girls’ Engagement, is an organization that connects students with participating National Labs for internships, learning opportunities, camps, and jobs. SAGE aims to provide passionate students with the resources they need to kickstart their STEM careers.
The Department issued a FAQ supplement on using the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds. The Department’s Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) Transparency Portal displays award and expenditure data by state for all four major ESF programs: ESSER, GEER, the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund, and the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) Program.
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