Leigh R. Abts, Ph.D.

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Center for Educational Outreach (CEO)

• Leigh R. Abts, Ph.D.

11 - 30 - 06
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Voices Crying Out in Unison for Change!

• Providing rigorous education and ongoing
  training to all our members of our society is
  critical for the overall economy and for
  individuals buffeted by its changing nature
  Alan Greenspan Washington Post, 2/21/04.
• Less than 15 of all high school graduates have
  enough math and science to pursue careers in
  STEM fields, and almost 50 of engineers will
  dropout Creighton, 2002.
• There is a predominate consensus in the business,
  scientific, and education community that America
  must revitalize our commitment to strengthen the
  pillars of American innovation and
  competitiveness - basic research in the physical
  sciences and math and science education. Fact
  Sheet STEMEd Caucus, 2006

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The CEO Vision

• To Bridge Education, Engineering, Research and
  Diversity Across K to G Institutions
• Through Strong Trans-disciplinary Partnerships

TEAMRET 2004 PARTNER CMU Teachers - Organized by
Ms. Judy Hallinen
NSF 0227544 - Ms. Mary Poats PD
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The CEO tactical is based on NSF Engineering
Research Centers Performance Review Criteria

• Students working in cross-disciplinary teams.
• Students interacting with industry.
• Research impacting educational materials.
• Educational materials implemented, assessed and
  disseminated.
• Engineering concepts into the K - 12 classroom.
• Increasing the gender, racial and ethnic
  diversity of the engineering workforce.
• Lead and partner institutions benefit.

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• The CEO Mission
• To link activities and programs between five
  distinct learning communities K -12, community
  colleges, undergraduates, graduates and
  practitioners.
• To bridge departmental and institutional
  boundaries.
• To facilitate the coordination of activities
  between the faculty and educational outreach
  partners.
• To not only outreach but also inreach new
  research and diversity perspectives into JHU.

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Important to Emphasize Community based
Partnerships

• Capacity building - leveraging of resources.
• Know the needs of the community served.
• Education is local to the needs of the community.
• Inclusion of key stakeholders - teachers,
  parents, policy makers, etc.

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CEO - Programs and Activities

• NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (Site RET)
• NSF Research Experiences for Native American
  Teachers and Undergraduates (REUTINA)
• NSF Center for American Indian Research
  Opportunity in Computing (BPC-DP)
• NSF Inventors of the Future (IF)
• NSF GK - 12 Broader Impact for Graduate Students
  to Teach Engineering Principles (BIGSTEP)
• Strategies for Engineering Education K - 12
  (SEEK-16)
• NSF Advance Placement in Engineering (Focus
  Groups, Expert Interviews and Pilot)
• Engineering Innovation (EI)
• Energy Policy Act of 2005 - Authorization for
  Science and Engineering Education Pilot Program
  (SEEPP - with CMU, MTSU and ORAU)
• STEM Education Congressional Caucus (STEMEd)
• Department Homeland Security Visiting Scholar

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Research Experiences for Teachers (RET 2001 -
2006)

• PIs from 11 universities.
• 175 high school science and mathematics teachers
  from 10 districts.
• Mostly urban schools with diverse student bodies.
  
• 4 to 5 week programs.
• transfer activities back into
• the classroom.

Jan Morrison from Teaching Institute for
Essential Science Demonstrating Field Activities
for the Classroom
NSF 0212217 - Ms. Mary Poats PD
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RET Example - Safe Racer Competition
Engineering Concepts Integrated into the
Elementary Classroom
Students working in Teams
Integrated into Curriculum
Involvement of Industry
2004 16 Teams
NSF Core ERC Grant 9731748 - Dr. Rajinder Khosla
PD
2005 40 Teams
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Advance Placement (AP) Engineering

• Partners
• CalState LA
• Carnegie Mellon
• North Dakota State
• NSF Network for Earthquake Engineering and
  Simulation Consortium
• Teaching Institute for Essential Science
• Tufts
• Vanderbilt
• Eight Focus Groups, with 104 participants, held
  at partner sites to determine need and
  feasibility for an AP in Engineering.
• Over 20 experts interviewed telephonically.
• What is Engineering? summer 2006 pilot - 165
  accepted, 155 students completed at nine sites,
  49 were women, 83 on scholarships, and 52
  received JHU 3 credit Transcripts.

Dr. Helen Boussalis helps to lead the discussion
at the CalState LA Focus Group in December, 2005.
NSF Site RET 0212217 - Ms. Susan Kemnitzer, Dr.
Joy Pauschke, Ms. Mary Poats (PD)
NSF GK - 12 0632007- Dr. Sonia Ortega (PD),
Ms. Mary Poats NSF Core
ERC Grant 9731748 - Dr. Rajinder Khosla (PD
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BIGSTEP Team in Minnesota
BIGSTEP Team in Maryland
Graphic Courtesy of GK - 12 Fellow Sam Small
NSF GK - 12 0632007- Dr. Sonia Ortega (PD), Ms.
Mary Poats
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Example of a Project Sensors Pilot Deployment
onRural and Urban Sites in Minnesota, Maryland,
New Mexico, New York / Canada and Ecuador
Graphic Courtesy Howard Community College -
BIGSTEP Project Evaluator
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Inventors of the Future Students apply their
STEM knowledge through Invention (IF)

• Engage students and teachers from Baltimore City,
  Washington DC and Native American Communities in
  Minnesota.
• Partnered with the National Inventors Hall of
  Fame.
• To date over 122 students have participated.
• Within the context of a Quality of Life theme.
• Develop invention concepts around this theme.
• Students work with mentors and teachers to
  develop the concept through physical practice,
  storybooks, and logs.
• Present and demonstrate their concepts to their
  peers and experts.

Hall of Fame Inventors (NIHF) Al Langer and Jim
West ask the students questions in Baltimore.
Students in DC presenting to a panel of NIHF
inventors and visitors from the US Patent Office.
NSF ESI-0451266 Dr. Joseph Reed PD
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Center for American Indian Research Opportunity
in Computing (BPC-DP PI Mr. Dwight Gourneau)

• Participating Institutions
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Johns Hopkins University
• University of St. Thomas
• University of Michigan
• Goals
• Increase the number of American Indian students
  in computing.
• Study the impact of undergraduate. research
  opportunities on the recruitment and retention of
  American Indian students in computing.
• Study the impact of research opportunities on
  American Indian students to attend graduate
  school.
• JHU Year One (Began March 2006)
• One Navajo and one Native Alaskan undergraduate
  worked with BIGSTEP Fellows.
• Navajo student project - Grade 6 to 12 LEGO
  Sensor demonstration kits.
• Native Alaskan student project - Dynamic Tactile
  Tablet for the Blind.

The Tactile Tablet Project is to replace the
static polymer sheet shown above with a
refreshable sheet that can be updated by the
computer in near real-time - in partnership with
City College of New York.
NSF 0540468 - Dr. Janice Cuny PD
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Benefits to

• Teachers content and applied knowledge.
• Students can learn content through applications.
• Students can view other environments managed by
  students from other parts of the country.
• Graduate students can apply their research and
  engineering skills in the K - 12 classroom.
• Researchers have access to distributed data from
  around the country.

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STEM Ed Caucus and STEM Ed Coalition

• Appointed to the Steering Advisory Committee of
  the House STEM Ed Caucus - Co-Chaired by Rep.
  Ehlers and Udall
• Goals of the Steering Advisory Committee
• Core mission to promote and improve STEM
  education including K to 12, higher education and
  workforce issues
• Increase the visibility and importance of STEM
  education and to educate members of Congress and
  their staffs on the technical issues and public
  policy options and
• Serve as an information source and a catalyst for
  advancing legislative and funding agendas to
  improve STEM education.
• Member of the National STEM Education Coalition

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Through these Programs and Activities - Can We
invert the STEM Pipeline for Students?
Public Policy
BIGSTEP
SEEPP
SEEK - 16
AP Engineering
Engineering Innovation
Future Inventors
Research Experiences for Teachers
Safe Racer