Stepping up STEM
President Barack Obama announced plans last week to expand the Educate to Innovate program to include impressive public and private partnerships and new initiatives with notable organizations and foundations including Intel, Texas Instruments, PBS, the National Science Teachers Association, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, and NASA.
Intel® has committed $200 million over ten years to advancing education in science and math, offering special training for more than 100,000 teachers. The company has also renewed its commitment to the Intel Science Talent Search and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
PBS and the National Science Teachers Association will collaborate on The PBS Teachers Innovation Challenge is a multi-year initiative that encourages teachers to share best practices and inspire innovation.
According to Patricia Shane, president of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA),
“The pipeline for our next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians begins in the K-6 classroom. Quality elementary science lessons capture children’s attention when they are most open, most curious, and most naturally disposed to asking questions about the world around them.”
Presidents from 75 public universities are getting into the act as well, committing to the training of 10,000 new math and science teachers by the year 2015.
A pilot program offered by NASA will provide an exciting opportunity for kids with interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.