SC STEM Regional Advisory Board Meeting

SC STEM Regional Advisory Board Meeting January 8, 2018 2-4pm Valley High School Room 1505

Present: Derry, Haage, Meyerholtz, Holmen, Garrett, Wigeland, Pargmann, Sieck, Hensen Absent: Arbuckle, Bontrager, McCarthy, Singleton Guests: Maria Schreier, Ann Ludwig, Jill Urich

I. Welcome by Ann Ludwig.

II. Overview of ORBIS by Jill Urich, program coordinator.

A. Spent about 2 years with a task force to look at college and career readiness, traveling to BIG and APEX.

B. Launching a new program this year in a soft rollout that addresses those needs. ORBIS is a Latin term for compass. Each student follows a compass for their own pathway of success. Students named and created the logo.

C. They created a program that incorporates authentic project-based experiences. It uses a needs assessment, develops a purpose, selects participants, begins implementation, and evaluates results. They begin with an end in mind.

D. Projects can be incorporated into classes, work on a project outside of class time for an elective credit, or take it during the school day as a credit.

E. Students must show proficiency on Employability Skills.

F. Developing a program to help them filter people to contact for the program and reaching out to other districts to draw students to the program.

G. Students who take it as a class during the day must have 2-3 periods of the day and be able to transport themselves. There’s an enrollment form, NOT an application. No one is turned away who is eligible.

H. ADVICE: walk with teachers doing things in the classroom. You don’t want to pull lots of people out of the classroom and say that it’s a better program.

I. ADVICE: dedicate staff to the project. Next year, along with a director, the district will hire 2 ORBIS teachers.

J. ADVICE: build excitement. 1. Create a task force for a year. 2. Dedicate staff. 3. Implement in phases. 4. Find the right teacher.

III. Scale-Up Overviews

A. Released a list of the 10 programs. B. Applications open January 22-March 5.

C. There’s a ppt, video, overview, and 1-page summaries with info to share.

D. Derry overviewed the programs.

IV. November Mega Meeting Overview

A. Discussed Agile Scrum Methodology

B. Learned about the ACE mentorship team.

V. Remaining Funds Discussion

A. Request for funding for astronomy-based STEM festival for the visually impaired on April 29 at 8:30. Keynote, breakout sessions, lunch. Free to visually impaired participants grades 3-8 and families. Partners include the AEA, Drake, SCI, and Iowa School of the Blind.

B. Reviewed current use of festival funds.

VI. Important Dates

A. Feb. 14 = STEM Day at the Capitol; Drake will have a table with the Hub there; Managers will have a table

B. Feb. 14 = SC STEM Regional Advisory Board meeting at the Capitol; 2-4pm

C. April 3 = Statewide Conference with Future Ready IA—Apprenticeships, Pre-App and BEST