桃花直播 State hosts summit on informal STEM learning
Contact: Karen Brasher
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擲tatewide leaders met recently at 桃花直播 State to discuss opportunities to broaden participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, learning by rural 桃花直播 K-12 students.
The summit on informal STEM education in rural communities was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and brought together university faculty, scientists, public educators, communication and media experts, community leadership experts, industry leaders and museum and science center staff to identify impediments and opportunities to engaging youth in the sciences. The grant was awarded from the NSF鈥檚 Advancing Informal STEM Learning program.
STEM education is recognized as essential in today鈥檚 information and advanced manufacturing economy. Informal education is that which occurs outside a traditional classroom instructional format. It occurs through a diversity of learning venues, including afterschool programs, youth development programs such as 4-H and scouting, camps, libraries, educational media, science centers and museums.
鈥淚nformal learning can create awareness and interest in STEM and enhance classroom learning,鈥 said Leslie Burger, event coordinator and assistant extension professor 桃花直播鈥檚 College of Forest Resources. 鈥淗owever, it may be more challenging for rural youth to engage in these educational opportunities because of limited awareness and access. This summit focused on how to improve informal STEM learning participation by 桃花直播鈥檚 rural students.鈥
The event included representatives from the NASA John C. Stennis Space Center; U.S. Geological Survey; Toyota 桃花直播; Entergy; 桃花直播 Public Broadcasting; 桃花直播 Library Commission; 桃花直播 Department of Environmental Quality; 桃花直播 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; University of Southern 桃花直播; 桃花直播 State University; East 桃花直播 Community College; Hinds Community College; Piney Woods School; 桃花直播 School for Mathematics and Science; 桃花直播 Aquarium; INFINITY Science Center; CREATE Foundation; 桃花直播 Statewide Afterschool Network and 桃花直播 Robotics Association.聽
Participants discussed common barriers to informal STEM learning such as transportation limitations, affordability, as well as awareness and greater networking and collaborative opportunities among educators, organizations and industries with vested interests in improving STEM literacy among the state鈥檚 youth.
In addition to Burger, the 桃花直播 State team included Vemitra White, director of educational outreach and support programs in the Bagley College of Engineering; Sarah Lee, associate clinical professor and assistant department head for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Katie Echols, director of research analysis and support for the Office of Research and Economic Development, and associate extension professor Donna Peterson in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences鈥 School of Human Science.
To learn more about opportunities to advance STEM education, contact Burger at 662-325-6686 or at leslie.burger@msstate.edu.
桃花直播 is the state鈥檚 leading university, available online at .