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I also had a free afternoon in Detroit that I chose to spend at the Detroit Institute of Arts, one of the premier art museums in the United States. With more than 60,000 works comprising a multicultural survey of human creativity - from Van Gogh and Diego Rivera to Mickalene Thomas and Jean-Michel Basquiat - it is a must-see. Of particular interest is the museum’s emphasis on pieces that demonstrate the intersection between science and the arts, with several exhibits that explore how science and tech - from the x-ray, telescope, aviation, and the psyche - influence art and vice versa. STEM and art, aka STEAM, go hand-in-hand and are integral to this awesome adventure we humans take into the unknown world of the future. 

Sarah Whiteside

Executive Director

--- Danielle Jarkowsky, Business & Industry Outreach & Equity Specialist

in a career in healthcare? 

Get some more information on positions like sleep technician and medical assistant through our educational video series, A Step Ahead. 

A Step Ahead has to offer, here.

We are posting our final episode of Closing the Gap: Season Two in July. This month, we are talking to Audrey Anderson. Audrey is a culinary arts instructor at Linn-Benton Community College and is also currently training as a firefighter. Join us as we discuss time management and pursuing multiple careers. This episode will be available on July 18th.

You can listen to Closing the Gap on our website and Spotify.

If you are a woman in STEM, or have a career in manufacturing or a skilled trade and would like to talk about your experience, contact Kacey Montgomery at montgok@linnbenton.edu.

Scio High School students finished out their school year with some domino track chain reaction fun! Students were challenged with building a domino chain reaction and successfully completing one lap around their room using planks of wood to travel between tables. This is a great STEM challenge activity for all ages and educators can check out the Domino Track Chain Reactions kit from our Lending Library!

2nd and 4th-grade students recently enjoyed trying their hand at the LEGO Disaster Island challenge! Students have 20 minutes to work as teams to build an island out of LEGO bricks. After 20 minutes, each group is given the 2nd part of their challenge - to build a solution to a disaster that has struck their beautiful island paradise. Whether it’s rabid platypuses (yes, that’s correct - I looked it up), zombies, or treasure-hunting pirates, students have a great time designing solutions to the challenges. This is a great STEM challenge activity for all ages and educators can check out the LEGO Disaster Island kit from our Lending Library!

One of the primary reasons for launching this space is to be a place where underrepresented groups in STE(A)M and CTE are the leaders and experts. Please contact Forrest Johnson at johnsof@linnbenton.edu if you are interested in being an expert in the MILL, and stay tuned for updates!

Fill out the Educator Lending Library request form, and check out the rest of the MVSCH Lending Library Catalog. For more information, email Forrest Johnson.

The Oregon Mathways, an initiative of the Oregon Math Project, supports changes in secondary math teaching and learning to improve student engagement and preparation for college and career. The initiative does this through attention to equity, pedagogy, self-directed learning, and system alignment. Stakeholder engagement is critical to accomplishing this statewide transformation of secondary mathematics education.

1. To High School Math Teachers: This website is a hub for all the grant-funded Mathways projects. It will be updated regularly throughout the year and teachers are encouraged to reach out to grant holders/apply for opportunities as they are eligible.

2. To Math Teacher Leaders supporting 9-12 teachers: Here is a flyer for Ambitious Math Teaching professional learning. This is a wonderful opportunity for Math Leaders to learn collaboratively with colleagues who are also supporting high school teachers in the transition to 2+1! We hope the 50 leaders will be representative of our whole state!

3. To Building/District Administrators of 9-12: Here is a flyer to share with building/district administrators who support high school mathematics teachers. This is a wonderful opportunity to get administration on board with the shifts of 2+1 and how they can best support teachers.

The five-day summer courses on the High School Science for All curriculum: NGSS Physics, NGSS Chemistry, and NGSS Biology will occur during the first three weeks of August. The courses provide a great foundation for teachers interested in utilizing the open-source curriculum and associated instruction strategies. The course model is a three-year pathway and curriculum is fully aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The curriculum utilizes a storyline patterns approach to problem-based learning, common instructional strategies, real-world phenomena and design challenges that engage students and support their learning.

Each course will be offered in two different ways and you can choose which option works best for you. The first option is a fully virtual 5-day course and the second option is a hybrid 5-day course that offers key opportunities to experience the hands-on labs and engineering activities that are part of the curriculum. Both courses cover the first two units with a focus on the key pedagogical shifts needed to engage all students in solving real-world problems. Participants will learn how to engage all students in utilizing the science practices to understand and think critically about the world around them. The roles of inquiry, culturally responsive anchoring phenomena, and engineering projects are emphasized. Come with your colleagues to learn about the Next Generation Science Standards and how to implement them together as a team!

Please register online at https://www.pdxstem.org/professional-development-1

You can find more information about the approach and access the curriculum by visiting https://www.pdxstem.org/hs-science