Impact of Diversity Programs on STEM Education at the Magnet Lab

1. Education and Diversity Programs at the Magnet Lab Making an Impact on STEM Education The 2007 REU program hosted a diverse group of 20 students from 15 universities in the United States and Puerto Rico to experience research at the MagLab. Seventeen MagLab scientists provided mentorship and encouragement to these talented science and engineering majors. The 2007 RET program welcomed 15 elementary, middle, and high school teachers working with eleven mentors in the laboratory. The RET program provides a rich laboratory itself for educational research on the efficacy of the RET program [1]. SciGirls I and SciGirls IIprovided opportunities for 31 middle and high school girls to learn about careers in science, real-world scientific research, and a variety of STEM disciplines. (Left) Shea Kelly, University of Alabama at Huntsville, explains her research conducted under the guidance of Prof. Jim Brooks, to participants in the CIRL-sponsored SciGirls program for middle and high school girls. MagLab Outreach resulted in face-to-face science experiences for ~9,000 Pre-K to 12th grade schoolchildren last year. New programs provided new venues for the MagLab to address national needs for educational and diversity outreach: including Comet Tales, Parents and Children Doing Science Together, and Partnerships with Public Libraries in four counties neighboring the MagLab. Jose Sanchez of the MagLab accepts a gift from Zehorit Kapach, a high school teacher from Ramat Hasharon, Israel and one of the 2007 participants in the MagLab’s RET program. [1] “The Influence of a Teacher Research Experience on Elementary Teachers’ Thinking and Instruction” Journal of Elementary Science Education (Dixon, P. & Wilke, R., 2007). 2007