Research Could Lead More Students To STEM Careers

Filling the pipeline with the next generation of chemists, engineers and statisticians isn’t easy. New research at North Carolina State University hopes to drive U.S. students to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM.

A team of researchers at NC State recently received a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will bring advanced mathematics software to rural, underserved high schools in North Carolina through NC State’s innovative cloud computing solution, the Virtual Computing Lab (VCL). The project, called “Scale-Up: Scaling up STEM Learning with the VCL,” is designed to be replicated across the state and country.

MINDSET Creates New Math Curriculum

North Carolina is one of several states requiring high school students to take four years of math. For some students this means precalculus or calculus, but for others, this may not be the best option. The MINDSET Project may be the answer for those students choosing not to take calculus.

MINDSET stands for Mathematics INstruction using Decision Science and Engineering Tools and focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating a fourth year mathematics curriculum based upon operations research and industrial engineering. The idea is to teach math with a business focus that will improve a student’s problem solving skills and attitudes toward math, especially in underrepresented populations.

New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute Inspires Teachers To Go Digital

The New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute was held at the Friday Institute from July 12 – 17, 2009. The weeklong institute entitled, “New Literacies, Inquiry, Equity: Teacher Leaders for a New Educational Era,” focused on how a new literacies approach to education that leverages emerging digital tools can create challenging and engaging learning opportunities for students and teachers. Forty-eight teachers from across the country (and China) came together to share ideas, learn from leaders in the field of new literacies, engage in project-based inquiry, and answer the question: What will you contribute as a new literacies teacher leader?

Pre-College Program Motivates Teens

What do I want to be when I grow up?  For Tamara Clegg, the answers were found in the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) Pre-College Program at NC State University.  Beginning in the sixth grade, Tamara participated in the program that is designed to prepare underserved students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and education.  

Today, she is one of the program’s success stories.  For seven years, Clegg participated in the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program at NC State University.  After high school, she earned a BS in Computer Science from NCSU and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech.