In order to inspire undergraduate STEM students to pursue a career in 6-12 teaching, are collaborating with the Kentucky Science Center as a part of our Noyce Knights Scholars Program (NKSP) to strengthen the 6-12 STEM teacher education pathways so that we can provide summer internship opportunities at the Kentucky Science Center for our STEM majors to carry-out hands-on engaging science activities with the younger students from the various grade levels that will develop their skills in STEM education. We are hoping that such interactions with the younger students may generate their interest in pursuing a career in STEM teaching. This project comes at a critical time for Kentucky because of the changing student demographic and the state’s adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that will have strong curriculum in STEM, and the development of new statewide performance assessments which will improve the educational achievements for all students. In summer 2019, funded by the Noyce Capacity Building grant, 10 STEM students took part in the STEM summer camp internship program at the KSC.
KSC holds a number of STEM summer camps and programs throughout the year for elementary, middle and high school students. KSC also holds a Youth Science Summit, an immersive, full-day workshop experiences for middle and high-school students which empowers young adults in STEM fields. The Youth Science Summits give high school students the chance to interact with and learn from industry professionals and faculty in academia. The KSC‘s educational methodology practiced in all of its STEM-based summer camps and internship programs use problem-based learning methods focused on the science and engineering practices of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), thus helping students understand and implement best practices in STEM education. KSC’s summer camp internships are designed to immerse learners in inquiry-based exploration of STEM topics that are based on a relevant, real-world context that increase students’ levels of interest and motivation in science. Previous work with KSC by both Drs. Mahmood and Cook and their recent work on the Noyce Capacity Building grant with KSC has laid the foundation for best practices in STEM education and collaboration on behalf of students. In the past, Physics students have actively participated at a number of KSC sponsored STEM events, notably – at the 8th Annual Louisville Future STEM Professionals Summit for high school students on June 16, 2018, the 2015 Engineering Week at the KSC on Feb 26, 2015, the 2015 Youth Science Summit at the KSC on July 25, 2015, STEM Outreach Event at the KSC on Feb 21, 2014 and the Kentucky Youth Science Summit, held at the General Electric (GE) Appliance Park in Louisville on June 14, 2014, and KSC Engineering Day on February 18 to 19, 2022.
For more information about the KY Science Center, visit: https://kysciencecenter.org/