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<p>The Escondido Union School District (EUSD) has found a way to promote STEM education to their students, by developing high quality teacher training and support for planning and implementing instruction.<br>
The California Math Science Partnership Grant has provided $500,000 per year to EUSD for a length of three years, with the purpose of promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education as well as college and career interest in students, especially those underrepresented in STEM fields of study.<br>
The grant was provided by the California Department of Education with federal dollars for K-12 partnerships between universities, public and private schools, professional development agencies, and community partners, such as chambers of commerce.<br>
The Escondido STEM Initiative works with teachers from all five district middle schools and Quantum Academy. Over 75 teachers have been involved with the program as well as four universities, CSU’s Long Beach, San Bernardino, San Marcos, and Cal Poly Pomona.<br>
The grant itself pays the training for teachers, who then work out lessons for students and later evaluate how their lessons enhance learning.<br>
“One of the goals of the grant is to connect students to their communities,” said David Harris, Project Director from EUSD. “The work that the teachers put together, is planned together so their students can learn about things they can do in their communities to make a difference, whether is something they can become interested and do volunteer work or if they want to become a professional.”<br>
For example, the program connects students with professionals in the community that work with public health, so the students learn about the sciences involved in that field.<br>
“The work that the students do is connected to a project in the end. So at this point, the teachers have learned to have more access, and who to talk to in the area, so they can bring and connect with students,” Harris said. “A lot of students are not really aware of what people in STEM fields do in their area, so instead of going out to another area, they get in contact with people who are in the area like Escondido, and San Diego County.”<br>
This year, the students will be connected with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography to sshow them a local STEM-related field.<br>
Harris mentioned that the grant also helps boost the teachers’ enthusiasm.<br>
“Teachers themselves have really enjoyed the learning, and the work they have done with the professors at the institutes,” Harris said. “I definitely noticed that the teachers are even more enthusiastic when they bring in the students.”<br>
The grant started in 2014 and is programmed to end in summer 2017.<br>
“One of the things we do in Escondido is engaging in professional development for the STEM teachers who are part of this grant,” said Nathalie Laurel, a teacher benefited by the grant. “The goal is that the teachers part of the grant would carry on this way of teaching for the duration of our education.”</p>