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Boeing South Carolina invests in STEM education research

Submitted by: Tom Peters on Jan 09, 2012 at 7:18 pm Tagged with: STEM education Source: South Carolina's Coalition for Mathematics & Science

Clemson, S.C. (January 3, 2012) – South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science at Clemson University, has begun a research and innovation program to identify reading, writing and communications strategies that make science and mathematics more accessible to middle grades students. Boeing is supporting Inquiring Minds: Reading to Learn and Innovate in Mathematics and Science at the level of $750,000 over a three-year period in the form of a challenge grant.
“Why is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) coalition focusing on reading, writing and communications strategies? Because state assessment results show a strong correlation between students’ difficulties with reading informational texts and failure to meet standards in mathematics and science,” says Dr. Tom Peters, Executive Director of the Coalition.
Peters adds, “Reading to learn is just as critical as learning to read, especially when it comes to STEM education. We need to tap into the learning potential of all children.”
Boeing’s challenge grant will fund research at ten middle school sites still to be determined and engage communities in support of STEM education.
South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science is seeking additional partners to join in the challenge.
Dr. Walt Tobin, President of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and Coalition advisory board member, cites the significant numbers of students entering two-year colleges who require reading skills improvement as evidence for supporting this research. States Tobin, “A study of disciplinary literacy will help identify ways to remediate faster and more effectively with students who struggle with the technical nature of the programs and courses offered at the two-year level.”
Inquiring Minds middle schools will be selected from applicants that meet specific criteria. S2TEM Centers SC, a statewide network of STEM education support specialists, will provide ongoing, on-site support to participating teachers.
Learn more about Inquiring Minds: Reading to Learn and Innovate in Mathematics and Science by contacting Dr. Tom Peters at 864-656-1863 or tpeters@clemson.edu. http://www.sccoalition.org