From the Director's Desk

Dear Mid-Valley educators and partners,

Hello and welcome to the 24-25 school year! I hope you found time for some much-needed rest and relaxation over the summer and are ready to kick off a great year with your students and colleagues.

For those of you who don’t know us, we’re one of 13 Hubs across the state, and our work, in essence, is to support your work. Whether you teach preschool or postsecondary, we’ve got loads of resources - many of them fully bilingual, PD, a well-stocked lending library, and a terrific team at the ready.

In particular, this year we are focused on working with middle schools to provide career-connected learning opportunities. This looks like visits to our MILL at LBCC, PD for MS staff on STEAM integration, and we have an Oregon Math Project grant to support 6th-grade mathematics and special education teachers with Khan Academy's new AI-powered teaching assistant, Khanmigo, to help learners achieve mastery. Learn more here.

We’re housed on the Albany campus of Linn-Benton Community College but we serve the entire two-county region, from Alsea to Sweet Home and everywhere in between. Here’s how to connect: sign up for our newsletter, follow us on social media, or email me directly.

We look forward to working with you for an impactful and STEAMy school year,

Director,

Sarah Whiteside

ps: We’ll mail a pack of cool custom Hub stickers to the first person who replies with a fun fact about spiders, sunflowers, or pollen (all pictured in this photo!).

The 2023-24 Annual Report

The impact is clear. In the 2023-24 year, our Hub delivered over 10,000 hours of STEAM programming to local students, supported the professional development of more than 2,300 educators, and provided over 1,800 students with access to essential equipment through our loaning programs.

We invite you to celebrate the remarkable achievements made possible through our partnerships by exploring the programs and learning opportunities we cultivated together during the 2023-24 school year. Please take a few moments to browse MVSCH’s 2023-24 Annual Report.

View our 2023-24 Annual Report.

News From the Hub

Women in STEAM Podcast is Back with All New Episodes

In this episode, Lauren Visconti, a women's studies and anthropology instructor at Linn-Benton Community College, challenges the misconceptions about what feminism is and is not, as well as touches on what equity and inclusivity can look like in the classroom and workplace.

Five Projects to Engage Your Teens in STEAM Learning

Looking for fresh ways to challenge and engage your teen at home? Check out these five low-cost, innovative STEAM projects they’ll love.

Let the learning begin!

Farewell, Forrest.

With heavy hearts, the Hub bids farewell to our STEM Librarian & Makerspace Coordinator, Forrest Johnson.

Since joining our team in 2020, Forrest has been instrumental in developing the Educators’ Lending Library, as well as our makerspace and flagship hands-on learning facility, The MILL. He has led the Hub in establishing best practices for open pedagogy and accessibility in experiential learning while setting a high standard for collaboration within our team.

Forrest will be continuing his career in education as the new Student and Family Extended Learning Manager for Central School District.

We wish you all the best, Forrest. Thank you for your invaluable contributions to the MVSCH team.