STEM RAYS Questions and Answers September, 2007
Franklin County Research Academies for Young Scientists (STEM RAYS) is a program that provides science research opportunities for Franklin County grade 4-8 students in after-school and summer settings.
2. Who is sponsoring the program?
The National Science Foundation is funding STEM RAYS as a model program for encouraging students to study science and math and to consider careers in science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) fields. The University of Massachusetts and Greenfield Community College are offering the program along with partnering Franklin County businesses and school districts. The program will be led by Morton Sternheim, Director, UMass STEM Education Institute; Allan Feldman, UMass School of Education; and Brian Adams,, GCC. Science Department Chair.
3. What does the program offer students?
STEM RAYS will connect students and teachers with five ongoing interdisciplinary environmental research programs, providing them with authentic science experiences and interactions with scientists, engineers, and college and graduate students from UMass, GCC, and Smith College. Students and teachers will collect and analyze data relevant to these environmental research efforts. Some middle school students will participate in job shadowing experiences at participating businesses which use science applications. Teachers in the program will be selected from the regular teaching staffs of the respective schools.
4. What are the research themes? Who is leading them?
The Arsenic Project will be led by Julian Tyson (Chemistry, UMass), Pioneer Valley Watershed Studies by Brian Adams (Environmental Science, GCC) and Jan Rowan, US Fish and Wildlife, Weather RATS by Wayne Burleson (Computer and Electrical Engineering, UMass), Air Quality by Paul Voss (Engineering, Smith College) and David Greenberg (PAX Analytics), and Birds by Curtice Griffin (Natural Resources and Conservation, UMass).
5. Which students are eligible?
Grade 4-6 students in eight elementary schools and in grade 7-8 in two middle schools will be invited to participate in the January – June 2007 pilot, which offers after school programs in the elementary schools, and science clubs in the middle schools. All grade 4-8 students will be eligible in the following two school years. There will be a one week summer academy at Greenfield Community College for students in grades 7-8 July 9-13, 2007 and another in 2008. There is no charge to the students, but enrollment in the school year programs is limited to 8 to 12 students per school, and, if necessary, students will be selected by a lottery.
6. How will we prepare the teachers?
Teachers in the pilot program will attend three Saturday training sessions on November 18, December 2, and December 9, as well as biweekly after-school meetings once the program starts in January. They and the additional teachers in the full program will attend a five day workshop, June 27-29, July 2-3, 2007. The teachers will get an opportunity to work with children in the summer academy, July 9-13, 2007. After-school meetings will continue during the remaining two years of the program.
7. What are the benefits to the teachers?
Teaches will be paid $25 per hour for the after-school student activities and for the school year training sessions and meetings. They will be paid $500 per week for the summer programs. They will be eligible for free PDP’s or for graduate credits at a reduced cost. There will also be a few paid workplace externships available for teachers at participating business partners at which teachers will assist with student job shadow visits.
8. What resources will be available?
Students and teachers will receive help from the participating scientists as well as students from UMass, GCC, and Smith College. Funds from the NSF grant will be provided for the materials needed for the scientific studies, and for field trips to the campuses and other sites. Participating businesses will also provide some resources. All the students and their families will participate in an end of year science conference at UMass at which they will present their results.
9. Where can we find more information?
The project web site is www.umassk12.net/rays. Or contact:
Morton Sternheim, mort@umassk12.net, 413-545-1908
Allan Feldman, afeldman@educ.umass.edu, 413-545-51570
Brian Adams, adams@gcc.mass.edu, 413-775-1454