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| Southwest High School science teachers Janis McDonald and Jim Von Steen look on as their mentor, Dr. Cheryl Beste, a Syngenta analyst, discusses the procedure they're about to conduct. |
Guilford
Education Alliance welcomed the STEM Fellows class of 2013 earlier
this month. STEM Fellows is a three week program designed to provide
the opportunity for Guilford County Schools’ teachers in STEM
subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to work
in a STEM industry to experience real-world applications of their
subject matter. With this experience, they will be able to make
their classroom lessons more relevant for their students.
The
11 middle and high school science and math teachers began week two of
three today, shadowing professionals at Cone Health Systems, Lenovo,
Lincoln Financial Group, Syngenta, TE Connectivity and TIMCO
Aviation. The teachers will end the program with a special
presentation of a lesson plan incorporating this experience.
Guilford
Education Alliance created the externship program in 2012 as an
effort to expand training for Guilford County Schools’ teachers.
Professional development has suffered greatly in school system
budgets across North Carolina. Guilford Education Alliance saw an
opportunity to fill that gap in our community. With generous
donations from the Duke Energy Foundation, Piedmont Natural Gas
Foundation and the Syngenta Foundation, the Alliance is able to
continue that effort this year.
STEM
education has become a major focus in education nationally. But why
is it so important?
Over
the next 10 years, job growth in STEM industries is expected to be
around 17 percent, nearly seven percent higher than expected job
creation for non-STEM businesses, according to a U.S. Commerce
Department report released in 2011. High-skill computer careers, such
as programing and data management, are projected to grow 45 percent
between 2008 and 2018. Attractive salaries are available for these
positions. STEM professionals earn 26 percent more than those in
non-STEM occupations.
U.S.
students are currently behind the curve. The National Math + Science
Initiative found in 2011 that only 45 percent of high school
graduates were prepared for college-level math and only 30 percent
were ready for college-level science. The achievement gap between
student demographics is also a concern in STEM education. Nine
percent of Hispanic students and 10 percent of African-American
students took advanced Algebra or calculus in 2008, compared to 22
percent of white students and 43 percent of Asian students.
Also
discouraging, just 26 percent of women with STEM degrees practice in
their field, compared to 40 percent of men.
Teachers
can't improve these numbers on their own. We encourage everyone to
get involved and recommend several ways to connect with a teacher or
classroom. You can provide student tours of your business, do
classroom demonstrations, participate in Futures 4 Kids career
coaching, allow students to job shadow, sponsor a robotics club or
have a Parent Academy on the Go hosted at your business. Learn
more about each opportunity here.
Guilford
County Schools’ teachers are eager to make these connections and
get kids interested in STEM as a career. Guilford Education Alliance
sees STEM Fellows as an important tool to help them. Once the program
is complete, our 11 STEM Fellows will have been immersed in cutting
edge companies who are not only employing the basics of science and
math but also pushing the boundaries of innovation in their fields.
This experience will put these Fellows, their students, colleagues
and extended school family, one step ahead of everyone else.
Be
sure to check in next week to see and hear from our teachers about
their experience. Until then, check out the Commerce
Department report here
and the NMSI
report here.
