Survey Findings Reveal Opportunities to Strengthen STEM Education in Maine Through K-20 Collaborations

Lewiston, Maine, March 25, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Maine Campus Compact (MCC), with support from Maine Experiential Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), recently released the results of two surveys finding ample opportunities and motivation to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education through K-20 collaboration. 

In 2014, MCC conducted a statewide landscape analysis to assess current STEM education practices, challenges, and opportunities.  It also investigated ways to advance STEM education through collaborative opportunities between higher education, K-12 schools, and community partners in Maine.  Seventy school districts and twenty higher education institutions throughout the state received one of two surveys: one for secondary schools and the other for higher education. In total, surveys were sent to 573 secondary schools (SS) and higher education (HE) educators, administrators, and staff.

Key findings from the two surveys include:

·         90% of SS respondents and 91% HE respondents believe that collaboration between K-12 and higher education would help strengthen STEM education.

·         SS respondents consider the top three challenges facing STEM education in Maine to be insufficient funding for K-12 STEM education (96%), lack of good professional development for STEM educators (88%) and inadequate links within the K-20 pipeline (87%).

·         Major challenges facing HE STEM programing are lack of preparation for college level STEM courses (67%), insufficient funding for STEM K-12 education (62%), and inadequate links between the K-12 pipeline (58%).

·         SS respondents identified interactive field trips to HE sites, professional development, and thematic STEM learning modules for classroom use as the top three most effective partnerships to address K-12 STEM needs.

·         Only 59% of HE respondents report that their HE institution currently integrates community engagement into STEM curricula, despite 93% of SS respondents stating that it would help to strengthen STEM education.

“With job openings in STEM fields growing exponentially in Maine and nationally, it is imperative that we expose Maine students to STEM fields at an earlier age and prepare them to meet the growing needs of the workforce,” said Sally Slovenski, MCC Executive Director.  “The findings from our surveys suggest that collaborations between K-12 schools and higher education are not only essential to accomplish this goal but have the overwhelming support of both faculty and educators in Maine. “

Maine EPSCoR’s Outreach and Program Manager, Laurie Bragg, added, “Utilizing the resources and expertise of higher education through these collaborative initiatives will go a long way towards strengthening the K-20 STEM education ecosystem in our state.”

In response to these findings, MCC now provides technical assistance support to implement collaborative educational models, titled STEM Engaging Initiatives, and promote partnerships between K-12 schools and higher education institutions. These experiential initiatives include, but are not limited to, community conversation starters to identify collaborative opportunities, hands-on field seminars, and professional development trainings for teachers and faculty.

To access the full reports and executive summary, visit: http://www.mainecompact.org/vista-stemRes.php.

About Maine Campus Compact

Maine Campus Compact is a coalition of 18 member campuses whose purpose is to catalyze and lead a movement to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education. We seek to transform our campuses in ways that develop better informed, active citizen problem-solvers, stronger communities, and a more just democratic society.

About Maine EPSCoR

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was initiated at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1978. Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine oversees and implements the state’s NSF programs.  These statewide programs advance Maine’s research capacity and competitiveness for a sustainable future through cutting edge science, STEM education, workforce development, cyber infrastructure, and economic development.