State and local governments oversee public schools and curriculum, enforce state and federal regulations, and supervise staff pay and budget allocation. Elected school board members additionally have considerable influence over educational policy. As a result, civic engagement can play a critical role in addressing educational shortfalls and adjudicating priorities among community members. State governments control educational funding for public colleges and universities. County governments exert further sway by setting the geographical boundaries for a student’s school designation
On July 27th, ESAL discussed the effect of equity on experience with STEM Education with a panel of professional educators. A combination of anecdotes and lessons were shared to create an opportunity of reflection. Learn how the panelists have worked towards equity in teaching and curricula design, using their individual experience to inform their efforts.
HPREP or the Health Professional Recruitment and Exposure Program provides a platform to encourage students to pursue careers in science. Executive director Harim Won discusses the program's aim to eliminate educational disparities and increase representation of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in related professions.
On July 15th, 2021, ESAL had a panel of STEM educational experts, including the executive director of the SciTech Institute, a leader of CodeSciLab, a global nonprofit director of STEM education, and a Philadelphia STEM educator that fight for STEM education access throughout the U.S. Each panelist brought forth a unique perspective on how local funding, policies, and environmental factors impact students’ educational experiences.
The SciTech Institute is using its powers to enable students astute in STEM to take up leadership roles and impact communities within the state of Arizona. Since its launch, the institute's Chief Science Officer program has extended its reach to ten states and four countries outside the U.S. Learn more about the inspiration for creating SciTech and what is in store for the future.
Mónica Feliú Mójer hablo con ESAL sobre Aquí Nos Cuidamos, una colección gratuita de contenidos educativos, comunitarios y multimedia sobre Covid 19, cienca y salud pública creada por Ciencia Puerto Rico. El grupo de científicos produce recursos culturalmente relevantes para equipar a los puertorriqueños, y sobre todo en las comunidades marginadas, a responder ahora a la pandemia y a los desafíos en el futuro.
ESAL spoke with director Mónica Feliú Mójer about Aquí Nos Cuidamos (“Here We Take Care of Each Other”), a free collection of educational, community-centered and multimedia content related to COVID-19. Launched as a program of the nonprofit CienciaPR, the culturally relevant resources equip Puerto Ricans to respond to the pandemic and future challenges.
Dr. Kenya L. Goodson is vice-president of the board of the Black Warrior River Keeper, adjunct professor of environmental science at the University of Montevallo, and science instructor for first generation college-bound high schoolers through Stillman College's Upward Bound program. Read her story about her path to applying her science background to improve environmental education and management in her community.
Educators Stuart Loebl and Nancy Wright describe the "Science Kits" program they developed for the Hayward Unified School District to facilitate equitable science education during distance learning.
On December 2, ESAL co-hosted “Creating Safe Post-Pandemic School Systems”, a virtual panel with the Architectural Engineering Institute. Panelists discussed risk management, engineering solutions, and practical considerations for reopening schools.
