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Skype a Scientist program in Indiana STEM

Nov 19, 2020
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We know that remote teaching-and-learning can be tricky, especially if you’re a STEM educator trying to distance teach subjects that call for hands-on demonstrations. Whew! Wouldn’t it be great to have a working scientist on call to spice up your Zoom lectures and engage your students? The scientist could talk about what he or she does in the lab or on site and offer examples of real-life problems solved through ingenuity and perseverance. Maybe even show things he’s invented or discoveries she’s made. How cool would that be? It can happen for you and your students through the program Skype a Scientist, www.skypeascientist.com. Skype a Scientist creates a database of thousands of scientists and helps them connect with teachers, classrooms, groups, and the public all over the globe to give students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist and get the answers to their questions straight from the source. 


But how does it work? To find out, we contacted someone who’s used it – Jennifer Hicks, director of K-12 STEM Engagement with the I-STEM Resource Network based at Purdue University in Indiana. Hicks has helped introduce Skype a Scientist to educators in her state, and she agreed to answer some questions about the program. But first, she filled us in on her work at the I-STEM Resource Network and the Indiana Science Initiative:



Q: Give us a brief history of the I-STEM Resource Network, its vision, whom it serves and its impact.

A: The I-STEM Resource Network, www.istemnetwork.org, originally was a partnership of public and private higher education institutions, K-12 schools, businesses and government, and hosted by Purdue University. I-STEM was started in 2006 as a collaboration among 18 institutions of higher education in 10 regions throughout Indiana.

In 2019, I-STEM shifted its focus to supporting the Indiana STEM Ecosystem. I-STEM supports K–12 teachers and education leaders working to implement high academic standards toward STEM literacy for all students. It also provides Indiana education leaders with new knowledge about teaching and learning.


Q: What is the Indiana Science Initiative (ISI), and how has it shaped your work at the I-STEM Resource Network?

A: ISI, www.indianascience.org, is a K-8 program that provides a hands-on, research-developed science curriculum to school districts in Indiana. We provide professional development for teachers to help them improve their instructional practice in science. ISI is the focal point of our work and has resulted in several spinoff projects, most recently a project in which we support mentoring of STEM teachers in 12 school districts. To date, we have mentored more than 150 teachers.

We have also worked with 100Kin10 in addressing the nation’s STEM teacher shortage, leading a project team in which we developed a tool kit for schools, districts and states to develop their own STEM mentoring program.


Q: One program you have introduced to schools in Indiana during the pandemic is Skype a Scientist. Tell us about this program, how it works, why you recommend it and what its impact has been in your state.

A: I introduced Skype a Scientist in June, during our virtual professional development (PD) for mentees and mentors, and it was a hit. I contacted Skype a Scientist, and they set me up with a scientist who studies Hawaiian monk seals. The teachers gave overwhelming praise for that one. There is a nominal fee, $10, to connect with a scientist.


In August, I lined up four scientists to speak to teachers; one was a Purdue archaeologist. We also had a microbiologist from Georgia Tech, and she was great.

I schedule the webinar on Zoom, host it, record it and then make the recording available for teachers in our mentoring program. Anecdotally, they have told me that they really enjoy meeting the scientist and learning about what scientists really do.


Q: How can schools in other states get started with Skype a Scientist?

A: They would just go to the website: https://www.skypeascientist.com/


Q: What other programs has the I-STEM Resource Network been involved with to help students continue to learn during the pandemic?

A: ISI has shipped curriculum to all member schools, and offered webinars on distance learning resources.


Q: What have you learned from other educators, parents, students and other STEM professionals about how to carry out effective in-class and virtual learning during this difficult time?

A: The Council of State Science Supervisors and the Smithsonian Science Education Center responded early on with resources, and we passed those along.


Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about STEM education during a pandemic?

A: #keepteachingscience


By Rob Evans 01 Nov, 2023
by Heather Sherman, Director of STEMx The 2023 STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce was a success! Through our collaboration with STEMconnector and Million Women Mentors, we convened 160 leaders from industry, government, non-profit organizations, and education institutions from all over the United States to discuss strategies and best practices to support the STEM workforce. We were honored to host a variety of dynamic speakers including: Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado Brynt Parmeter, Chief Talent Management Officer, U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Athina Kanioura, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, PepsiCo and Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (RoX). We extend our gratitude to our panelists, Learning Session speakers, and participants who joined us in Denver. Broadening participation We set out share information on trends in STEM education and workforce development, with an emphasis on broadening participation in STEM careers. Resources from sessions highlighting strategies for broadening participation are linked below: DoD STEM: Developing a STEM Workforce to Support the National Security Mission Priming the Pump for High Demand STEM Careers STEM Workforce Readiness for Teen Girls: “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” Driving change Another goal of the forum was to feature high impact strategies, programs and solutions that are driving change, and STEMx members from LASTEM , the PAST Foundation and MBRT showed how they are engaging youth and building career awareness through their workforce programs. Emerging technologies We looked towards the future to better understand how emerging technologies will change the world and the ways we must prepare STEM talent for jobs in logistics, artificial intelligence, research safety , bioenergy , and renewable technologies. Chevron‘s sponsored panel, “Cultivating the Talent to Drive the Innovation and Technologies for Ever-Cleaner Energy” was a rich discussion featuring experts from Chevron, Project Lead the Way and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Jamie Vernon, Executive Director, and CEO, Sigma Xi Society was a fantastic moderator for this discussion. Next steps We have linked event resources including videos, slide decks and collateral on the event landing page . The event photo gallery is located there as well. If you attended, please complete our 30 second event survey . Five lucky winners will be selected at random to receive a Forum water bottle! More importantly, your feedback matters to us. If you did not attend, mark your calendar for next fall - we’re looking to make next year even bigger! If you are interested in hosting in your state, or have thoughts about compelling content that we should include, please reach out to Heather Sherman .
By Rob Evans 03 Oct, 2023
Join us for The STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce
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