PV STEMNET MEETING

MAY 4, 2007Holyoke Community College

AgendaI. IntroductionsII. PV STEMNET Program Background And

Current ProjectsIII. PV STEMNET Organizational Structure

A. Steering Committee1. Structure2. Make up of Membership3. Challenge and Charge

B. Advisory Board

IV. Next Steps

The Pioneer Valley PreK-16 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)Education Regional Network

"The purpose of the Pipeline Fund is “to increase the number of Massachusetts students who participate in programs that support careers in fields related to mathematics, science, technology, and engineering…to increase the number of qualified mathematics, technology, engineering and science teachers in the Commonwealth and to improve the mathematics, technology, engineering and science educational offerings available in public and private schools.” [Chapter 141 of the Acts of 2003, Section 13, paragraph (c)] 

The PV STEMNET is a network of schools, institutions of higher education, other formal and informal educational organizations, and industry. It was established with funding from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education with the following purpose:

History of the NetworkSpring 2004 -- Initial Network development, development of Phase

I proposal

Summer 2004 -- Development of Phase II proposal

Fall 2004 - Summer 2005 -- PV STEMNET Funded by BHE to do the following:

• Engineering pathways mapping project

• Engineering/technology career fairs (HCC and STCC)

• Summer camps (Smith College, Springfield College, HCC)

• Saturday Explorations in Science and Engineering (WNEC)

• Engineering Institutes for K12 Teachers (Smith College and Westfield State/HEC)

• Academic year seminars for teachers (STEM Ed Institute, UMass)

Summer and Fall 2005 -- Teachers Implementing Imaging and Imagery for Classroom Learning (TI3CL) [Funded by CITI]

Winter 2005 -- TI3CL Continuation[Funded by CITI]

ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY, STATISTICS, DISCRETE

MATH, TRIGONOMETRY, and CALCULUS

for Grades 4-8 Teachers(funded by MA DOE)

History of the Network

2005-2007: Math MMSP

School Partners (Math MMSP)

Holyoke

Hampden-Wilbraham

Gateway Regional SD

Westfield

Palmer

Greenfield Gill-Montague

Easthampton

Diocese of Springfield

Chicopee

Amherst

Springfield Public Schools

UMass Amherst

Westfield State

GCC

HCC

STCC

Springfield College

Higher Ed Partners (Math MMSP

History of the Network

PHYSICAL SCI TECHNOLOGY CHEM & BIO MATH 2007 Math, mind and

matter) HCC & Springfield College

Design and Engineering STCC

Life Sciences WNEC

Algebra & Geometry I

2008 Intro to Phys Sci WNEC

Technology and Engineering WSC

Chemistry HCC Algebra & Geometry II

2009 Physics and Math Springfield College

Robotics HCC

Forensics HCC ( Discrete Math

(funded by MA DOE)

2005-2007: Science & Math MMSP

Franklin County Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Research Academies for Young Scientists

A collaboration of the following organized by PV STEMNET:• National Science Foundation• UMass

– STEM Education Institute– School of Education

• Greenfield Community College• Franklin County business and nonprofit partners

History of the NetworkSTEM RAYS

What’s Special About STEM RAYS?• Connects Franklin County students and teachers with ongoing

interdisciplinary environmental research programs • Interactions with scientists, engineers, and college and graduate

students from UMass, GCC, and Smith College; partners • Students do experiments, collect and analyze data relevant to these

environmental research efforts • Field trips, annual research conference at UMass• It is a research study of the effects of teachers’ and students’

participation in legitimate scientific research.

History of the Network

Features of Student Programs• Weekly 2 hour after school programs,

grades 4-8• 1 week summer programs, grades 7-8• 8-12 students per school• ~8 elementary and 2 middle schools in January

2007 pilot• ~18 elementary and 6 middle schools in full

program, Sept. 07 – Dec. 09

History of the Network

Current BHE Grant

• Fall 2006: PV STEMNET holds 4 meetings to develop proposal

• January 2007: PV STEMNET receives funding letter from BHE

• May 2007: Network receives contract from BHE

Other projects developed with PV STEMNET

• HCC/UMass Robotics for Girls

• Upward Bound Proposal (Baystate & UMass)

• Others?

Current BHE GrantObjectives:

1. Increase the number of Massachusetts students who prepare for and enter STEM careers;

2. Increase the number of qualified STEM teachers in the Commonwealth;

3. Improve the STEM educational offerings; and

4. Build the capacity of the regional network.

Current BHE GrantFunded projects:

• Emerging Scientists and Mathematician summer camps (Springfield College, HCC, AIC)

• Biotechnology Summer Camp for Girls (Gateways Regional Schools)

• STEM Mentor Training (WSC)• Engineering is Elementary (Holyoke Public

Schools)• STEM Multimedia workshops (WGBY)• Network Building and Coordination (UMass)

Current BHE GrantTimeline

Winter 2007 Summer 2007

Academic Yr 2007-08

Summer 2008

Academic Yr 2008-09

Summer 2008

Academic Yr 2008-09

Engineering is Elementary

Plan workshop

Workshop for HPS teachers

Academic yr follow-up

Biotechnology for Girls

Develop summer activity

Camp (Gateway RSD)

Develop summer activity

Camp (2nd site in PV)

STEM Mentor Training

Recruit mentors; plan workshop

Workshop (WSC)

Academic yr follow-up

WGBY Develop media workshops

Implement media workshops

Implement media workshops

Implement media workshops

Implement media workshops

Implement media workshops

Implement media workshops

Emerging Scientists and Mathematicians

Develop summer activity

Camp (AIC) Camp (SC)

Follow-up for summer camps

Camp (HCC)

Follow-up for summer camps

Network Activities Develop strategic plan; reconstitute advisory board

Outreach to local business, publicity, hold Network meetings, develop online directory of STEM education materials and best practices

Plan PV STEM Summit

PV STEM Summit

Project Management

PV STEMNET Advisory Board

Projects

Pioneer Valley STEM Stakeholders

Role: Represent all stakeholders; Approve Strategy; Evaluate / disseminate results of projects; Provide technical assistance; Promote new STEM policies.

Role: Planning and organizing all activities; Administrative and management resource to the Committee and the Council; Support implementation of projects; Organize Summits (?) and coordinate fund-raising.

UMass AmherstAdministration

Role: Execute specific project related to STEM.

PV STEMNETSteering Committee

Role: Represent broad stakeholders’ priorities; Provide oversight and Resource for projects, Develop Strategy.

Steering Committee

1. Structure2. Make up of Membership3. Challenge and Charge

Purpose of the Steering Committee • The primary function of the PV STEMNET Steering

Committee is to represent all stakeholders and take responsibility for the achievement of outcomes of the program

• The Steering Committee will provide for:– Diverse representation in the Network’s leadership– Participatory management among K-12, higher education and

employers – Collaborative decision-making process along shared priorities– Multi-year vision for the role of the network in the region through

the development of a Network Strategic Plan, and – Sustainability/institutionalization of the network upon conclusion

of BHE funding 

Proposed Steering Committee Structure

Category Number of members

Candidate organizations

High Education 4 School Districts 5

Regional Education Organizations

2

Business & Employment Organizations

2

Industry Members 2 Public/Community Organizations

1

Total 16

Proposed Steering Committee StructureCategory Number of

members Candidate organizations

High Education 4 UMass representative Representatives from each of the following categories of IHE (rotating membership)

"Four Colleges" Springfield area colleges Community college

School Districts 5 Three representatives from Hampden county Springfield Public Schools Two other school districts (rotating membership)

One representative each from Franklin and Hampshire counties (rotating membership)

Regional Education Organizations

2

Business & Employment Organizations

2

Industry Members 2 Public/Community Organizations

1

Total 16

Proposed Steering Committee Membership

Category Number of members

Candidate members

High Education 4

School Districts 5

Regional Education Organizations

2

Business & Employment Organizations

2

Industry Members 2

Public/Community Organizations

1

Total 16

Steering Committee Tasks• Monitor and review of the program (STEM educational

contents, schedule and budget) at regular Steering Committee meetings

• Provide assistance to the educational projects when required• Adapt and modify program and educational projects as

emergent issues force changes, ensuring that scope is aligned with the BHE requirements and objectives of key stakeholder groups

• Agree on regional priorities for STEM education and establish long term strategic plans

• Accept and approve program deliverables • Grow the network and look for additional funding opportunities• Others?

Advisory Board1. Structure2. Make up of Membership3. Challenge and Charge

Evaluation

Projects

Network and Regional Stakeholders

Phase 1 Phase 2, 3… Phase n

State/BHE

Eval Plan

•Follow State Framework

OngoingEvaluation

Pre-Survey/

Test

Eval Report

Project Plan

Steering Committee-Network Monitoring, outreach, etc

NetworkApproval

FinalReport

Post-Survey/

Test

Program Monitoring and Cross Region Information Sharing (Summits)

Strategic PlanSustainability

PipelineProgram Eval

StateImp?

Scale-Up?

Projects Implementation

Awards

RegionalNeeds

Year 2 Reports

Year 1 Reports

Advisory Board(Semester)

Roadmap for PV STEMNET Program

Next steps?