In the Zone This Month: March 2009
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The Ohio STEM Learning Network:
Making STEM Education Work for Ohio
by Brad Mitchell
The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) is a unique public and private initiative designed to support innovative and integrative approaches to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM). One of the key strategies of the OSLN is to connect and develop a network of STEM secondary schools across Ohio. Currently, the network is composed of 10 STEM schools that have already opened or will open in the next 18 months. Please take a moment to read about these creative and innovative approaches to education. To learn more about these schools, OSLN and how you might get involved, please check out www.osln.org.
Akron: The National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School…Center for STEM Learning (opening Fall 2009), located within the Akron Public School District, will be housed in a venue that not only encourages, but celebrates innovation: the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation. And with its close proximity to the University of Akron, middle school students will benefit from direct access to university laboratories and facilities.
Cleveland: Located on the campus of GE Lighting & Industrial»s Nela Park, MC2STEM High School is one of two STEM schools that opened in Cleveland in Fall 2008. Students focus on sustainability and renewable energy. And just 2 months after opening, the students showcased their artistic and innovative thinking at a Sustainability Conference that featured presentations on alternative energy, efficiency vs. reduction, climate change, and waste stream management and recycling. Design Lab Early College High School is a STEM school focused on art and design, offering foundational coursework in industrial design and media arts. The school provides a rich and creative media environment for students and is within walking distance of Cleveland’s “District of Design”—a project aimed at making Cleveland the “Milan of the Midwest.”
Cincinnati: Students in grades 11 and 12 at Hughes STEM High School (opening Fall 2009) in Cincinnati Public Schools will explore four innovative STEM pathways within the high school. These pathways include bioscience, space exploration, sustainable environments and urban science, and STEM education. Student experiences will be enhanced by mentoring, internships, job shadowing, and experimental learning with STEM researchers and professionals.
Columbus: Metro Early College High School, Ohio’s first STEM school, takes learning outside of the “four walls.” On any given day, students engage in internships on site at COSI, Battelle, or on the campus of The Ohio State University. And in the summer students participate in field experiences such as Forensics in the Classroom, where they learn real forensic science. The Linden-McKinley STEM High School’s conversion into a STEM middle/high school is transforming a community. Parents, students, teachers, and community leaders are part of the school’s design planning team. A new school building will enable students to design innovative science experiments in new labs and receive instruction using state-of-the-art technology. The school will open in Fall 2009.
Dayton: The Dayton Regional STEM School (opening Fall 2009) is designed to serve students from three counties: Montgomery, Greene, and Clark. The Air Force Research Laboratories, the school’s research and technology anchor, are working to provide technology integration into the curriculum and deploy creative learning opportunities for students and school faculty.
Hamilton: New Miami Local School District is using STEM education to transform its entire district. From K-12, the school district, housed in one school building, will embed the STEM philosophies in all grades. Located in a high poverty and rural area of southwest Ohio, the school will use its strong partnerships to equip students with the creative skills to revitalize the community.
Reynoldsburg: The Reynoldsburg STEM High School (opening 2010) will be located less than a mile from the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and plans to bring the classroom into the community. By accessing the ODA labs and scientists, students will test and analyze innovations in plant biology. Students will also work with key city staff to identify creative solutions to manage the city’s infrastructure and spur redevelopment in older parts of the city.
Sandusky: In partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), students and staff at the Perkins STEM Schools will apply creativity and innovation by helping to design the construction of a visitors’ center at NASA’s Plum Brook Research Center. The visitors’ center will include hands-on exhibits and activities for all ages. A local industrial construction company will work with students to refurbish the facility, including its design and architecture.
At the heart of all these schools is an intense belief in the power of 21st-century learning environments to open and excite young minds and blaze new paths for civic and economic revitalization. Please consider becoming part of the network, www.osln.org.
Brad Mitchell serves as director of Battelle-Ohio State STEM Education and Economic Development Engagement.
