Next meeting date; NSF Authorization Bill reported out of Subcmte; House Resolution on STEM Ed and NLD; Impact Report on NSF MSPs
Greetings STEM Education Coalition Members!
The next meeting for the STEM Ed Coalition will be Tuesday, April 27 from 12:30-1:30 at the American Chemical Society, since it is over the lunch hour please bring your brown bag lunch with you if you so desire.
For your consideration today, here are a number of Hill activities, events and position openings:
First, a few days ago Reps Fudge and Ehlers introduced H. Res 1213, which recognizes the need to improve student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The resolution also supports National Lab Day (www.nationallabday.org)
The Dear Colleague letter is below; we encourage you to send it to your Hill contacts and your Representatives for their consideration. Rep. Fudge’s office is also interested in securing support from the STEM community, for more information please contact Casey Miller in Rep. Fudge office at casey.miller@mail.house.gov
Second, the NSF bill was marked up and reported out the other day by the Science and Technology Committee Research and Science Education subcommittee, it is attached. They will be addressing the STEM education programs in agencies other than NSF at a later date, and we expect to see draft language for that soon.
Third, the NSF has issued a National Impact report on the Math and Science Partnerships, you can find the report at PDF: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10046/nsf10046.pdf?WT.mc_id=USNSF_80
There are a number of events for you attention, all are attached:
Information on the Triangle Coalition policy forum this October
A Hill event on STEM education/computer science
A Scientists and Engineers for America event
And finally, please find information on position openings at the Association for Women in Science and the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
Cheers
James and Jodi
James Brown
Co-Chair, STEM Education Coalition
Assistant Director, Advocacy
American Chemical Society
Office of Legislative Affairs
(202) 872-6229 (office)
(202) 872-6206 (fax)
Jodi Peterson
Co-Chair, STEM Education Coalition
Assistant Executive Director, Legislative and Public Affairs
National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 312-9214 (office)
(703) 841-0250 (fax)
Dear Colleague,
We invite you to cosponsor H.Res.1213, a resolution recognizing the need to improve the performance of American students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This resolution also supports the ideals of National Lab Day, a nationwide effort to connect students, educators, and volunteers in the STEM fields in order to build the STEM community.
America has a rich history as the leader in technology and innovation. However, due to an aging technical workforce and a lack of students slated to replace these professionals once they reach the age of retirement, we are at serious risk of losing this leadership position. Recent statistics show that, compared to other countries, the United States is graduating significantly lower percentages of students in the STEM fields. For example, in 2006 only 4.5 percent of students in the United States received undergraduate degrees in engineering, compared to 33 percent in China.
All children are born with curiosity and inquisitiveness to explore the world around them. The fundamental desire to understand scientific interactions, both natural and manufactured, sparks initial interest and motivates students to pursue careers in STEM fields. However, research shows that students begin to lose this interest as early as middle school. National Lab Day aims to foster collaborations that will engage students at all levels in hands-on, scientific educational experiences. These experiences are necessary to keep students interested and engaged in the STEM fields throughout high school and their undergraduate education.
Please join us in recognizing the need to improve the performance of American students in the STEM fields, and encouraging the participation of STEM professionals, students, teachers, and volunteers in National Lab Day. Not only do we owe it to our students to make sure that every opportunity is available to them, but these activities are necessary for the United States to maintain its global leadership position. For more information or to cosponsor the resolution, please contact Casey Miller at casey.miller@mail.house.gov (Fudge) or Julia Jester at julia.jester@mail.house.gov (Ehlers).
Sincerely,
Marcia Fudge Vernon J. Ehlers
Member of Congress Member of Congress
