Early STEM inquiry, teaching, and mentored research opportunities integrate active learning and culturally responsive pedagogy to build early social capital and create a diverse STEM teacher community. To address the urgent need for qualified and adaptive STEM teachers and to improve the next generation of STEM students’ achievement and engagement, the RISE Ready Program recruits, prepares, and supports community college and lower division underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students to serve in rural, high need local education agencies such as Middle Schools and High Schools. The collaborative partnership between California State University Monterey Bay, Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, and Monterey Peninsula College results in early entry points for STEM Teacher Pathways. The Next Generation Science Standards Regional Collaborative Teacher Network coordinated by the County Office of Education provide an early, inclusive STEM community of practice with access to current in-service teachers and best STEM practices. Examples of student experiences include facilitating learning in the Greenfield and Salinas Community Science Workshops, where students utilize design thinking and engineering to build and test prototypes. Other examples include engineering design at Rancho Cielo, life science through SEEDS4STEM, and the Billion Oyster Project. Each of these experiences provides opportunities to learn and teach STEM. Transforming early experiences of future teachers from the local region will develop qualified STEM educators capable of investing in the next generation of scientists in rural districts and communities. Qualified and innovative STEM teachers in rural districts will exponentially develop the STEM workforce to meet emerging critical needs.
Science, Broadening Participation, Workforce Development
Hartnell College, Cabrillo College, Monterey Peninsula College
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (NOYCE)
Related Content for Rural Integrated STEM Education (RISE) Ready
Discussion from the 2022 STEM For All Video Showcase (16 posts)
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 10, 2022 | 10:52 a.m.
Welcome! This is our first year of the Noyce RISE Ready program. We are so excited to connect with advocates for early teaching and learning experiences. We are collaborating with three phenomenal community colleges: Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, and Monterey Peninsula College. Our goal is to ensure students have opportunities to explore teaching and learning. What are questions you have about early teaching and learning experiences? We are interested in your feedback regarding the duration and frequency of teaching and learning experiences. Thanks again for visiting!
Hello Corin. I really like how you have partnered with the fab lab to promote invention and innovation.
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 10, 2022 | 11:02 a.m.
Thanks Paige! The Fab Lab Network has been a great source of inspiration for our students. You can check out all of their resources here: https://fabfoundation.org/global-community/
Catherine McCulloch
Facilitator Senior Project Director
May 10, 2022 | 12:04 p.m.
Hi Corin and team, thank you for sharing your work. Since this is the first year of your project, you may not yet know the full impacts of your training on the future teachers. In the future, are you planning to study impacts on the teachers once they're in their own classrooms?
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 11:13 a.m.
Hi Catherine-thank you for your question! Yes, our goal is to develop a community of practice, where undergraduate students who become high quality STEM teachers can mentor and share best practices. Our hope is to study the impact on teachers once they are in their own classrooms.
As a veteran university teacher, I am seeing an increasing need for early experiences in STEM. And I think these need to be tied to teaching and learning. I think this project will have lasting impacts.
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 11:11 a.m.
Thank you, Ann! Early STEM experiences can vary-we are wondering how to embed or integrate teaching and learning so that students recognize their own potential. When does an individual think of themselves as a teacher? We are excited to explore how early experiences (and reflection on those experiences) can help shape future teacher trajectories!
Amazing project. Like Ann mentioned, it is crucial to catch their attention during those formative years. Excellent stuff. I voted!
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 11:07 a.m.
Thank you, Ekundayo! We are realizing that students who discover the teaching pathway as juniors and seniors would benefit from earlier exposure. What experiences do you think would draw a student to consider teaching?
Mike Szydlowski
Facilitator K-12 Science Coordinator
May 11, 2022 | 09:36 p.m.
This looks so exciting! Where do you see future teachers implementing this in their classrooms? As part of science class, elective, etc?
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 11:05 a.m.
Thanks Mike! We see opportunities for teachers to implement digital fabrication when building and testing models. We also see opportunities for students to use design thinking and engineering principles to prototype and test solutions. Examples of classroom projects can be found here: https://www.scopesdf.org/lessons/
David Campbell
Facilitator Program Officer, retired
May 12, 2022 | 08:22 a.m.
The Fab Lab looks like a great way to motivate students in STEM. Do students participate in an after school program or does it take place in the classroom? And forgive my ignorance, what does "lower division students" mean (in your abstract)?
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 11:02 a.m.
Thanks for your clarifying questions! Lower division refers to "freshmen or sophomores" in college, which for our population are community college students at Cabrillo, Hartnell, and Monterey Peninsula College as well as first time freshmen at CSUMB. In terms of the Fab Lab, there are experiences in both the classroom during the day and after school.
I love this project - I grew up in a rural community with very few opportunities to engage in STEM. I only became aware of this deficit once I began teaching in a school district adjacent to a major city with many universities, and was astonished (and a bit jealous!) at the opportunities this afforded students interested in STEM. Thank you for undertaking this important work.
Corin Slown
Lead Presenter Associate Professor
May 12, 2022 | 05:58 p.m.
Thank you, Ashley! We agree. Our hope is that students from our rural communities will be willing to return to their communities to teach. I grew up in a similar situation and marveled at all of the opportunities in urban spaces. We are wondering how to anticipate emerging workforce needs so that experiences grow STEM capacity for our future!
Dennis Kleinman
May 13, 2022 | 01:28 p.m.
Projects like RISE are so needed. I just finished reading a research article entitled "Teaching science in rural elementary schools: Affordances and constraints in the age of NGSS" which talks about the challenges getting teachers and students up-to-speed in STEM in rural areas. The kinds of hands-on experiences RISE is bringing to these students provide just the kind of boost needed to get kids thinking STEM. Keep up the great work! Also, you might like to have a look at the video for the project I've been working on, https://stemforall2022.videohall.com/presentations/2489 which also integrates activities into STEM study to get students interested and excited about STEM. As you will see, it also includes video portraits of recent college graduates who are now working in Bio-Medical startups, giving students a sense of what it would be like to do science & engineering in the real world. You can view all of the materials here: Building a Strong Workforce Alliance for Biofabrication & Bioengineering through K-12 Education. I would love to get your thoughts.
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Welcome! This is our first year of the Noyce RISE Ready program. We are so excited to connect with advocates for early teaching and learning experiences. We are collaborating with three phenomenal community colleges: Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, and Monterey Peninsula College. Our goal is to ensure students have opportunities to explore teaching and learning. What are questions you have about early teaching and learning experiences? We are interested in your feedback regarding the duration and frequency of teaching and learning experiences. Thanks again for visiting!
Paige Evans
Hello Corin. I really like how you have partnered with the fab lab to promote invention and innovation.
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thanks Paige! The Fab Lab Network has been a great source of inspiration for our students. You can check out all of their resources here: https://fabfoundation.org/global-community/
Catherine McCulloch
Senior Project Director
Hi Corin and team, thank you for sharing your work. Since this is the first year of your project, you may not yet know the full impacts of your training on the future teachers. In the future, are you planning to study impacts on the teachers once they're in their own classrooms?
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Hi Catherine-thank you for your question! Yes, our goal is to develop a community of practice, where undergraduate students who become high quality STEM teachers can mentor and share best practices. Our hope is to study the impact on teachers once they are in their own classrooms.
Ann Podleski
As a veteran university teacher, I am seeing an increasing need for early experiences in STEM. And I think these need to be tied to teaching and learning. I think this project will have lasting impacts.
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thank you, Ann! Early STEM experiences can vary-we are wondering how to embed or integrate teaching and learning so that students recognize their own potential. When does an individual think of themselves as a teacher? We are excited to explore how early experiences (and reflection on those experiences) can help shape future teacher trajectories!
Ekundayo Shittu
Amazing project. Like Ann mentioned, it is crucial to catch their attention during those formative years. Excellent stuff. I voted!
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thank you, Ekundayo! We are realizing that students who discover the teaching pathway as juniors and seniors would benefit from earlier exposure. What experiences do you think would draw a student to consider teaching?
Mike Szydlowski
K-12 Science Coordinator
This looks so exciting! Where do you see future teachers implementing this in their classrooms? As part of science class, elective, etc?
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thanks Mike! We see opportunities for teachers to implement digital fabrication when building and testing models. We also see opportunities for students to use design thinking and engineering principles to prototype and test solutions. Examples of classroom projects can be found here: https://www.scopesdf.org/lessons/
David Campbell
Program Officer, retired
The Fab Lab looks like a great way to motivate students in STEM. Do students participate in an after school program or does it take place in the classroom? And forgive my ignorance, what does "lower division students" mean (in your abstract)?
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thanks for your clarifying questions! Lower division refers to "freshmen or sophomores" in college, which for our population are community college students at Cabrillo, Hartnell, and Monterey Peninsula College as well as first time freshmen at CSUMB. In terms of the Fab Lab, there are experiences in both the classroom during the day and after school.
Ashley Coon
I love this project - I grew up in a rural community with very few opportunities to engage in STEM. I only became aware of this deficit once I began teaching in a school district adjacent to a major city with many universities, and was astonished (and a bit jealous!) at the opportunities this afforded students interested in STEM. Thank you for undertaking this important work.
Corin Slown
Associate Professor
Thank you, Ashley! We agree. Our hope is that students from our rural communities will be willing to return to their communities to teach. I grew up in a similar situation and marveled at all of the opportunities in urban spaces. We are wondering how to anticipate emerging workforce needs so that experiences grow STEM capacity for our future!
Dennis Kleinman
Projects like RISE are so needed. I just finished reading a research article entitled "Teaching science in rural elementary schools: Affordances and constraints in the age of NGSS" which talks about the challenges getting teachers and students up-to-speed in STEM in rural areas. The kinds of hands-on experiences RISE is bringing to these students provide just the kind of boost needed to get kids thinking STEM. Keep up the great work! Also, you might like to have a look at the video for the project I've been working on, https://stemforall2022.videohall.com/presentations/2489 which also integrates activities into STEM study to get students interested and excited about STEM. As you will see, it also includes video portraits of recent college graduates who are now working in Bio-Medical startups, giving students a sense of what it would be like to do science & engineering in the real world. You can view all of the materials here: Building a Strong Workforce Alliance for Biofabrication & Bioengineering through K-12 Education. I would love to get your thoughts.
Further posting is closed as the event has ended.