Presentations from the 10th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics Madison Wisconsin June 20–24 2012

摘要

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is becoming a crucial portion of education in America. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 16 of the 30 fastest growing occupations require STEM skills. Currently, while students might take courses in school that cover STEM subjects, opportunities to apply their knowledge independently outside the classroom are limited by time and resources. STEM Society is a student-led high school organization that seeks to increase opportunities for scientific investigation for K–12 Rochester Public Schools students. In an initial, open-ended survey conducted by STEM Society, 42% of 109 Rochester Public School students from grades 6–12 specifically requested more “hands-on activities” and “applicable activities” to be included with their science education. STEM Society is servicing the students' requests by offering an open lab, called STEM Lab, in which students can apply their education through workshops and projects. STEM Lab offers different science equipment zones as well as leadership opportunities to Rochester Public Schools' students as they develop projects with and act as mentors to younger students. STEM Lab promotes student-to-student collaboration, as teamwork is crucial in the science community. STEM Society is working with the ongoing STEM Village component of the InSciEd Out Foundation (Integrated Science Education Outreach), a partnership between Mayo Clinic, Winona State University and Rochester Public Schools to improve science education for the 21st century. STEM Society has already secured three research grants for its inaugural STEM Lab at Kellogg Middle School, and STEM Society is repairing, refurbishing, and repurposing other equipment for STEM Lab. Through supporting STEM Village and expanding STEM Lab, STEM Society aims to foster scientific interest and motivation via student-to-student collaboration that will be retained by students throughout their higher education.