Staff Elements
GL2 recognizes that many elementary and middle school teachers will benefit from additional professional development opportunities and by exposure to activities that emphasize STEM concepts, technical skills and applications including STEM-based operations by entities in their local community. Strengthening STEM Programs via Community Partnerships is an essential strategy to ensure optimum STEM learning. Local industry, business, university, civic and skill craft training organizations possess unique opportunities for students to experience “real STEM work.” Local and Regional entities are most often willing to offer access to their personnel, operations, and research activities to help foster increased STEM interest beyond traditional classroom curriculum content.
Strengthening STEM Programs via Community Partnerships
Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
It will be chaired by a senior local official and includes school and park district leaders, teachers, and community and civic leaders. The CAC will work to explore, determine, and implement ways the community can support its STEM programs with a vision to make them the best in the Country. Community includes parents, educators, fire, police and similar public departments; local Chamber of Commerce; university sports teams; medical operations; service organizations, civic groups, and businesses large and small.
Industry STEM Advisory Board (ISAB)
It will be chaired by the leader of a well-respected local technology or engineering company and will include STEM Program leaders. The ISAB works to explore, determine, and implement ways of improving student interest in the STEM subjects in their schools and park district programs. The ISAB works vigorously to include representatives of as many of the STEM-based local businesses and organizations as possible.
Role of Industry
- Champion Teachers
- Instill STEM Appreciation
- Showcase Careers
- Broaden Horizons
- Impart Skills, Knowledge,
- and Capabilitie
Supplement STEM Curricula with Real Applications
Identify topics within the STEM curricula where partners (e.g. a city engineering or planning department) have real life applications that can enhance and reinforce subject matter. Offer live and/or virtual class field trips. Educators, students, and parents are generally unaware of exciting STEM activities ongoing in their local community. Community STEM work exposure is also accomplished by partnering with GL2 education programs.
Invest in Parents and Teachers
It’s impossible to strengthen school and park district programs without the active participation of parents and teachers. Family nights include great food, entertainment, and short expressions of the fun and satisfaction associated with STEM careers. Teachers, administrators, and park district instructors socialize with student families in an informal, relaxed atmosphere.
Champion Teachers
The private sector faces none of the rigid limits placed on the public sector as to how and how much they can incentivize and motivate teachers. Like everyone, teachers appreciate cash awards for exemplary work. There’s nothing iniquitous about appreciation checks from local companies for teachers who work to make their students and STEM Program Clubs STEM strong.
Employ STEM Teachers
Teachers and park district instructors must often work second jobs. STEM - based companies have a unique opportunity to provide them valuable real STEM experience, which translates directly to their students.
If a STEM – based company hires part time help why not make it STEM teacher(s)?
Hold Teacher Exclusive Open House Events
All organizations doing STEM work (local, regional, within the state, and nationally) share their experiences and applications with local teachers who always pass the experience gained on to their students.
Good teachers are a community’s most valuable asset. Treat them special with exclusive teacher only open house events emphasizing unique opportunities and experiences.
Demonstrate STEM Applications in Schools and at the Community’s Park District Site
Communicate your tech product(s) with emphasis on the use of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. Show the satisfaction of skilled employees. Provide a child-friendly employee to interact with students during school hours, during the after school program, and visit classrooms upon requests. If many different companies participate, students gain a knowledge of the diversity of STEM careers and of the economically important work ongoing in their community.
Celebrate STEM Successes
Partners should meet with each other periodically to visualize and understand the scope of the ongoing community interaction between the schools, park district programs, and the public and private local STEM entities. Celebrating STEM success on a continual-basis leads to stronger support by contributors.
Recognize STEM Successes
Achievements must be acknowledged. Standout students, teachers, activities, partners, and partnerships must be noted at the above celebrations and publicized through the media including social media. Noting successes is important for schools working towards an outstanding National STEM Model School Designation.
Support Extracurricular STEM Activities
Science clubs, science fairs, STEM competitions like FIRSTTM and similar extracurricular STEM activities that produce real student enthusiasm and engagement require strong continual community partner participation to succeed.
Donate Equipment, Hardware, and Technology
There never was a program that couldn’t use learning tools like large screen monitors, white boards, computers, software, science equipment, supplies, and anything and everything to facilitate STEM learning. STEM entities make contributions when donating new or no longer needed items on teacher “want” lists.
Offer STEM Class and Club Field Trips
Live field trips are best, but when impractical, interactive (two way communication) virtual field trips are the next best thing. An advantage of virtual trips is that they can simultaneously involve multiple schools, park district programs, and project teams.
Companies Broaden Student’s Perspective
Informal sessions allow companies to show STEM Program participants exciting lucrative opportunities awaiting them in the broader community if they apply themselves to obtain the required education and training.
Make Room for Student Internships
The opportunity to win internships with local STEM company operations provides participants with a great incentive for excelling in school courses and park district programs. It also gives the hiring entity an early look at potential future hires. This is a win-win for both the participant and the company.
“Adopt a Class”
A public/private STEM-based organization can make a major positive impact on students by allowing them to input on a real projects (e.g. bridge construction, river water quality monitoring. Allow participants to experience and input on engineering, materials analysis, environmental impact, budgeting; in short, all aspects of a real project close to their home. Emphasize how math, chemistry, physics i.e. STEM subjects enter into real world work.
Initiate Junior Tech Programs
“Adopt a Class” can be adapted to individual participants. Company employees or retirees, in a one on one relationship, support students that display special interest in STEM. Support is multifaceted and informal. Ideas include working together on STEM homework, advising on science project(s) applying math concepts, enabling the student to see work at a laboratory or plant location, and advising on courses and colleges
Recruit Community Nonprofit Organizations
Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis and similar clubs have a long history of helping schools with volunteers, fundraisers, and through valuable connections. Different clubs often “adopt” a different school program (drama club, sports team).
After School Program (ASP) Volunteers
Company employees/retirees are critically important to ASP’s. They provide presence as a caring adult, assist with homework, and participate in other after school program activities. Skilled volunteers are needed for the arts and crafts (music, ceramics, dance, etc.); information technology including coding classes; technical education classes leading to apprenticeships, certifications, and job opportunities; and any other learning activities that occupy children and enhance their physical and well-rounded education.