Society for Science and ARSA By Anna Pawlow (Rhymes), Director of STEM Literacy & Curriculum, Society for Science The Society for Science is partnering with the Arizona Rural School Association on a multi-year agreement starting August 2021 to support the vital work of ARSA and to bring additional STEM resources, programming and curricular support to middle and high schools in rural Arizona. Society for Science (Society) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education. Our vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement; to inform, educate, and inspire. We do this work through our award-winning Science News Media Group, unique outreach and equity programs, including Science News in High Schools, and world-class science competitions: the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), and Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars). Our Affiliated Fair Network—which inspires students around the world to explore STEM research and also serves as a pipeline for ISEF and Broadcom MASTERS—is made up of approximately 400 local and regional fairs, globally. As part of the collaboration with ARSA, the Society for Science recently hired Kal Mannis to serve as the Society’s first Arizona Rural School STEM Fellow. The Rural STEM Fellow’s role is to assess the unique needs, preferences, and barriers to STEM engagement of rural Arizona teachers and students, and provide strategic support in augmenting existing STEM curricula with the Society for Science’s Science Education programming opportunities, primarily the Science News in High Schools program. “Stronger Together!” Page 14 Science News in High Schools is unique among STEM education programs in its ability to provide access to a trusted source of accurate, engaging science journalism. The program currently serves nearly 5,500 schools and 95 district or regional school cohorts lead by a STEM Fellow. Through the rich content of Science News and Educator Guide lesson plans tied to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science News in High Schools makes it possible for teachers to engage their students in the type of inquiry-based learning necessary for postsecondary persistence and success. Moreover, each Educator Guide lesson plan pairs our award-winning science journalism with comprehension, writing, discussion, and analytical exercises, which allow teachers to seamlessly integrate the Common Core State Standards for literacy into their classroom curricula and prepare students for the type of article analysis currently required by standardized tests. With Science News in High Schools, teachers can help students connect class content to the latest discoveries, making topics more current and relevant, and empower more young people to pursue STEM careers. Each school participating in Science News in High Schools receives: • 10 print copies of each Science News issue throughout the school year—providing access to the latest in-depth science reporting. • Year-round access to sciencenews.org and its full archives, allowing students to research science topics reported on since 1921. • Access to a Digital Educator Guide Library full of interdisciplinary lesson plans— (continued on page 17)
15 Publizr Home