NEWTON, MA | February 28, 2011
Engaging the interest and passion of young people in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is the goal of educators, researchers, and policymakers attending the eighth annual ITEST Summit, March 3–4, 2011 at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this year’s summit will focus on collecting models and findings from the past seven years to share nationally. The ITEST (Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) Learning Resource Center is hosted by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC).
This year’s summit “Collaboration, Communication and Dissemination: Building a National Community of Practice in STEM Workforce Development,” features working sessions on sharing key findings from the ITEST program and will end with recommendations for sharing models nationally. In addition to attending the event, participants will use social media to connect with others interested in STEM education and workforce development. Some sessions will be webcast live, allowing remote participants to submit questions to presenters. A poster session highlighting project accomplishments is on March 3 from 6:00–8:30 p.m.
“ITEST has become the repository of hundreds of models and resources for promoting STEM development and diversification,” said EDC’s Joyce Malyn-Smith, who directs the ITEST Learning Resource Center. “In our work with teachers and students, we are finding ways to spark interest and build skills, to position young people for futures in science and technology that will keep the United States globally competitive.”
The ITEST community includes NSF-funded principal investigators—leading researchers and experts on STEM learning and career development—whose work in 176 projects across the United States addresses the nation’s demand for a diverse and skilled STEM workforce. With funding from NSF, the ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC supports these efforts and disseminates lessons learned.
The national ITEST community directly supports recommendations made by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST):
- Cultivate, recruit, and reward STEM teachers that prepare and inspire students
- Create STEM-related experiences that excite and interest students of all backgrounds
- Support states and school districts in their efforts to transform schools into vibrant STEM learning environments.
For more information, visit http://itestlrc.edc.org/ or contact Siobhan Bredin sbredin@edc.org.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that develops innovative programs to address urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC conducts more than 300 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org. The ITEST Learning Resource Center, in EDC’s Learning and Teaching Division, helps build inclusive public-private partnership and education-to-employment systems, and supports information communication technology (ICT) fluency for all learners. Visit http://itestlrc.edc.org/.
