National Science Foundation Awards Institutions Promoting STEM in K-12 Schools
By News Report
November 04, 2008
Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries and Clarkson University announced they have been jointly awarded $1.4 million through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant program, a national award that recognizes innovative teaching approaches that foster science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills among high school students.
Beacon Institute and Clarkson received the award to expand their Student Enabled Network of Sensors for the Environment using Innovative Technology (SENSE IT) curriculum, a program that will teach 9,000 New York high school students to design, build, test, deploy and interpret environmental sensors used to monitor water quality in the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers.
The program also includes intensive teacher training sessions on cutting-edge technological and education skills and requires long-term commitments by schools to utilize these methods. Students and teachers will work directly with the River and Estuary Observatory Network that is being implemented by Beacon Institute, IBM and Clarkson.
"For New York State and the nation to remain competitive in the global economy it is essential we develop math, science and engineering skills in young students," said John Cronin, director and CEO of Beacon Institute. "By combining an environmentally-driven purpose -- the monitoring and protection of critical waterways -- with advanced technological skills, we are preparing a new generation of innovators and leaders who can address one of our most pressing regional, national and global environmental challenges -- threatened water resources."
The SENSE IT program provides hands-on teacher and student training to construct sensors for the waters of the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers with the goal of interesting students in STEM-based careers.
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