It's already been a busy and exciting year for STEM initiatives at the Gallia-Vinton ESC!
Since August, Dr. Shockley and Dr. White have co-authored three STEM education research manuscripts currently under review with academic journals.
Two of the ESC's 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool programs were selected to receive additional funding to implement a STEM engineering design challenge curriculum developed by NASA--the Gallia Academy Middle School and River Valley Middle School. ESC staff are helping to implement these curricula, which involve engineering design challenges that emphasize testing, modifying, improvement, and teamwork as essential components of the engineering process.
As teachers are required to participate in ongoing professional development (PD), the ESC embraces its role in providing high-quality PD opportunities for teachers and administrators. During the 2019-2020 academic year, the ESC has four training days scheduled as PD opportunities for science teachers. In addition, Dr. White has been invited to collaborate with the ODE science team to offer seven training days for science teachers across the state. Robin Phillips has been integral for ensuring high-quality mathematics PD opportunities are available for math teachers in the region. During the 2019-2020 academic year, the ESC has nine training days scheduled as PD opportunities for teachers of mathematics. Both Robin Phillips and Dr. White are available to work one-on-one with area math and science teachers to provide classroom support.
Contact the ESC to discuss STEM support needs and opportunities.