STEM Grant Continues

During the summer of 2009, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) grant activities continued.  Dr. Karynne Kleine used about $80,000 to offer the Preparing Robust Educators by Learning Integrative Math & Sciences (PRELIMS)  program.

PRELIMS included a two-week residential component for Central Georgia high school juniors and seniors to learn about math, science, and pedagogy.  This year it included 3 area master teachers including middle grades graduate Shaykele Holsey; two teacher candidates, Megan Seals and Corey Wellmaker, as counselors; and eight Georgia College faculty from Arts and Sciences and Education as content specialists. 

Grant recipients will also have 2 follow-up sessions on October 10 and December 5, 2009 as well as continued on-line mentoring between the teachers and the participants in hopes that some of the students become math or science teachers.  Grant investigators will be tracking the students over the next five years to see if any do become teachers in math or science.

Below is the article published June 16, 2009 on the GCSU Website.

Hands-on science experiments target future potential math, sciences and engineering teachers

large photo Twelve eager students gathered around tables in the back of a science lab to learn to extract banana DNA from a centrifuge. Students gathered test tubes, pipettes, glass rods and flasks to aid them in their series of tasks.

Deborah Awoyeye, a rising 11th grader at Rutland High in Macon, thrives on the science activities.

“It’s not like in high school where you only get to watch the teacher do the experiment,” Awoyeye said. “Here, you get to actually do the experiments.”

Awoyeye and 11 additional 11th and 12th graders from central Georgia are experiencing college life for two weeks, thanks to a STEM Grant.

The Science, Teaching, Engineering, and Mathematics Grant provides funding to programs focused on raising students’ interest in teaching in STEM-related fields.

In order to participate in the program, the high school students needed a nomination from their school counselors. Of the 50 nominations, 12 students were selected to participate in the pilot year of Georgia College’s PRELIMS (Preparing Robust Educators by Learning Integrative Math & Science) Academy.

Nikolas Spikes, an rising 11th grader at Macon County High in Montezuma aspires to become an educator. This week’s activities have helped him “understand and grasp the concepts relating to molecular biology,” he said.

“This work has helped me focus on becoming a biology teacher,” the rising junior said. “I am very excited about the student teaching the group will do Thursday for small groups of seventh-graders.”

The PREMINS students are living in a residence hall and attending classes and labs across the campus.

During the second week of class, the students formed CSI teams to investigate a hypothetical murder. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent talked to students about how he uses math and science during an investigation. Students also will travel to Atlanta to tour a GBI bureau to observe the integrated sciences used in a GBI career.

Dr. Karynne Kleine, PRELIMS Academy Coordinator, is pleased with the progress the students are making.

“We have expanded the students’ content knowledge and helped change their attitudes about math, science and engineering,” Kleine said.

The students’ participation in the STEM program continues into the fall. The summer program instructors will hold two follow-up days with their students and continue mentoring online.

Science program instructor Dr. Mike Gleason is encouraged by the students’ enthusiasm for science.

“They love the participatory aspects of science,” Gleason said. “I expect we will see some future science teachers out of this group.”
 

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