An online application and resume must be submitted no later than May 25, 2012. Please contact your WABS District Coordinator if you are interested in applying.

What is the WABS Teacher STEM Externship?

Now in its second year, the WABS Teacher STEM Externship is a high-profile paid summer externship and professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers to:

• Gain valuable, hands-on professional experience in one of the following industries: 1) Aerospace, 2) Technology, 3) Biomedical, 4) Engineering and 5) Research and Development.
• Increase your industry awareness and involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
• Bring engaging math and science real-world applications back to your classroom.
• Share with and learn from a cohort of your peers throughout the summer and 2012-13 school year.

How does the externship work?

Eligible teachers who have submitted their application materials by May 15, 2012 AND been approved by their WABS District Coordinator, will be accepted into a three-week paid summer externship program,  July 9 – July 27, 2012. Each extern will receive $500 per week (for a total of $1,500) for their summer training and externship.

The three-week summer program includes:

• A week of orientation and training to set expectations and prepare you for your externship including a site visit with your business partner.
• A two-week externship placement with one of our business partners at which you will have an opportunity to be involved in a hands-on STEM project.

Additionally, externs are expected to  return as a cohort for three professional development sessions throughout the 2012-13 school year to help translate their summer experiences to their classrooms.  There will be a session in the Fall, Winter and Spring (dates to be determined).  WABS and the participant’s school district will share the cost of substitute teacher expenses during these sessions.

2012 Summer Externship Calendar

• July 9 – 13: Teacher Orientation Week (includes externship site visit on Friday, July 13)
• July 16-19: Teacher at externship site
• July 20: Teacher Professional Development
• July 23-25: Teacher at externship site
• July 26: Externship site tours (teachers pair up to visit each others’ externship sites)
• July 27: Teacher Professional Development

Who is eligible to apply?

We are seeking middle and high school teachers in science, technology, engineering and math fields within the 10 districts we serve. There may be additional eligibility requirements at each district. An online application and resume must be submitted no later than May 15, 2012. If you are interested in applying for this externship, please contact your WABS District Coordinator directly.

In this workshop, math educators will have an opportunity to share partnership approaches, discuss implementation challenges, and consider how to continue building connections between high school and post-secondary math instructors within their region.

Cascadia Community College math faculty and Northshore School district math teachers will share highlights from their ongoing partnership. They will describe how shared professional development influenced them to create common classroom tasks, cross-institutional observations, and a process for community college math placement by transcript analysis.

If interested, please email Megan Luce by May 11, 2012 with the following registration information:

• Name
• School
• Position/Department
• Email

Registration is free and lunch will be provided. 

Sponsored by Rethinking Pre-College Mathematics Project.

Come celebrate:  the Natural Leaders activities and successes this year, 3 recent Natural Leaders graduation from the Parent Mentor Certificate Program and hear a panel of Natural Leaders share their personal stories.

RSVP to Barb Gurley by May 18, 2012.

WABS 2011 and 2012 STEM teacher externs, along with WABS district coordinators are cordially invited to join us to celebrate and showcase the work of our inaugural cohort of STEM Teacher Externs.

Learn about the projects our 2011 teacher cohort worked on last summer and how they are applying what they learned in their classrooms.

Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. Invitations have been sent. Please RSVP by May 22, 2012.

For more information, please email Natasha MacDonald.

June 3 – 10, 2012: Science Festival Week
Events throughout the Puget Sound

Celebrate science! In June 2012, Seattle hosts the area’s first science festival. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, our region’s schools, universities, cultural institutions, research centers and businesses come together to celebrate the importance of science and technology. 

Visit the Seattle Science Festival Website to learn more.

The Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) offers an opportunity to participate in a premiere educational Fair. WSSEF is open to all public, private, online and home schooled students in grades 1 – 12 in the state of Washington. It is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Visit the the WSSEF website for more information and to register.

Free Teacher Workshop

WSSEF is also offering a teacher workshop on March 31, 2012 from 9:30 AM to 2:30PM that includes FREE clock hours and lunch. From making structured observations to communicating scientific results in a poster presentation, this course will cover the fundamentals of how scientists develop projects. WSSEF will walk participants through the development of a complete science fair project by learning how to ask a testable research question, collect and analyze quantitative data, and display the four parts of a scientific report.

This won’t be a workshop on how science fair projects are judged but rather, a hands-on explanation of how high quality science projects are conceived, conducted, and communicated. After the workshop, participants should be able to guide students in critiquing scientific reports in the news, crafting testable research questions on any topic, and putting it all together in a clear and logical framework, the scientific poster. Space is limited and registration is required.

Please visit the WSSEF website for more information about the workshop.

2010-2011 Evaluation Highlights

• Recruitment and retention efforts have been successful with 69-100% of students eligible for free-reduced lunch, 16-78% ELL/bilingual, and 65-91% students of color.
• Participating students attended regularly and actively participated.
• Participating students improved their performance in reading and math as is evidenced by test scores, parent and teacher observations.
• Teachers report student attitudes and classroom behaviors improved.
• Community partners were actively engaged in the program implementation by offering enriching and engaging activities.

Improvement Areas for the Current Year

• Improve reading and math scores: Use more consistent instructional materials and increased staff development.
• Communicate with “Regular” School Staff: More communication between 21st CCLC staff and “regular” school staff about students’ learning needs and progress.
• Uniformity/Consistency of Implementation and Programming among Sites: Share strategies that have been successful between the sites.

Complete 21st Century Community Learning Center Evaluation Reports (released in December 2011) for our Middle and Elementary school programs are available upon request. Please email info@wabsalliance.org to request an electronic copy.

The Central Sound Regional Science & Engineering Fair (CSRSEF) is the only ISEF-affiliated fair for high school students in King and Snohomish Counties in Washington State. Each year, dozens of high school students participate from public, private, and home schools from around western Washington.

Why do a Science or Engineering Fair Project?

The grand champion of the fair will win an all-expense paid trip to compete in the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this May. Prizes will be awarded to category winners and several local and national organizations will be on hand to present special awards.

Benefits of Science Expos

• Looks great on resumes and college applications
• Develops skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and organization
• Meets many of the Washington State Science Learning Standards
• Gives students the opportunity to explore their unique interests in science and engineering
• Connects students to science and engineering professions
• Makes learning engaging and fun!

Learn more about the Central Sound Regional Science & Engineering Fair

Get Involved

WABS will provide transportation stipends to student teams from WABS member districts that participate in this year’s CSREF. For more information about these stipends, contact info@wabsalliance.org.

In addition to encouraging students to participate, teachers can get involved in other ways:

• Field Trips: Plan a field trip to the CSRSEF on Saturday, March 10, 2012. Public viewing hours are from 1-3pm.
• Be a Judge: Volunteering as a judge is a great way to learn more about the science and engineering fair process and how to encourage independent research projects in your classroom!
• Teacher Information Session: Learn how local teachers have incorporated science and engineering projects into their curriculum during this one hour session from 1-2pm on Saturday, March 10 (during the CSRSEF public viewing hours).

As part of National Engineers Week, WABS works with The Boeing Company to promote engineering and technical careers to students in grades 6-12.

Boeing volunteers will visit middle and high school classrooms within the 10 WABS school districts to talk to students about the wide variety of engineering and technical careers available today. They will also engage students in discussions about educational paths and salary ranges related to these positions.

Volunteers lead a classroom activity that lets students take on different job roles to see how engineers and scientists work together to create new engineering products.

Integrating the teaching of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) increases student participation and achievement.
Learn more