Skills for America's Future

Today, President Obama announced the launch of a new initiative Skills for America’s Future - an effort to improve industry partnerships with community colleges to ensure that America’s community college students are gaining the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in the workforce.

In his remarks before the start of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) meeting today, President Obama laid the vision for Skills for America's Future program:

The idea here is simple: we want to make it easier to connect students looking for jobs with businesses looking to hire. We want to help community colleges and employers create programs that match curricula in the classroom with the needs of the boardroom.

We’ve already seen cases where this can work. Cisco, for example, has been working directly with community colleges to prepare students and workers for jobs ranging from work in broadband to health IT. And all over the country, we know that the most successful community colleges are those that partner with the private sector. So Skills for America’s Future would help build on these success stories by connecting more employers, schools, and other job training providers, and helping them share knowledge about what practices work best. The goal is to ensure that every state in the country has at least one strong partnership between a growing industry and a community college. Already, companies from UTC to Accenture to the GAP have announced their support for this initiative, as well as business leaders like my friend Penny Pritzker and the Aspen Institute’s Walter Isaacson. I hope other business leaders will follow suit, and I’m also setting up a taskforce to work directly with the business community on this effort.

The President also emphasized the importance investing in education as a means of investing in our long-term economic growth.

But what I won’t do is cut back on investments like education that are directly related to our long term economic performance. Now is not the time to sacrifice our competitive edge in the global economy. And that’s why I disagree so strongly with the proposal from some on the other side of the aisle to cut education by 20% in next year’s budget. It’s a cut that would eliminate 200,000 children from Head Start programs; a cut that would reduce financial aid for eight million college students; a cut that would leave community colleges without the resources they need to meet the goals we’ve talked about today. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

President Obama understands that the education and skills of the American workforce is crucial to our ability to compete in the global economy. That’s why the President has set a goal of having an additional 5 million community college degrees and certificates by 2020, and called on PERAB to develop new steps to ensure that those degrees and certificates will provide graduates with the skills they need to get ahead in their careers.

To respond to the President’s call, PERAB reached out to private sector employers, labor leaders, philanthropy organizations, and policy leaders within the Administration solicit their views on the workplace development challenges of the 21st century. Many employers identified public-private partnerships as one of the most effective ways to ensure that college graduates and certificate earners have the skills they need to be successful in the workforce.

The Skills for America’s Future initiative will match up the employers like PG&E, United Technologies, McDonald’s, Accenture and Gap Inc. with community colleges in every state to develop curricula and programs that will prepare graduates to excel in the workforce. To learn more about this initiative visit www.SkillsForAmerica.org.

Tomorrow, Dr. Jill Biden will host the first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, an effort to bring together bring together community colleges, business, philanthropy, federal and state policy leaders, faculty and students to discuss how community colleges can help meet the job training and education needs of the nation’s evolving workforce. Leaders from the Skills for America’s Future will be leading a breakout session during the summit to discuss best practices for building robust, successful partnerships.

You can join the conversation as well, by submitting your ideas and comments in our online dialogue on community colleges. Visit WhiteHouse.gov/CommunityCollege to get started.

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM INNOVATORS: INDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING OUR NATIONS HUMAN CAPITAL

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM INNOVATORS: INDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING OUR NATIONS HUMAN CAPITAL


http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/stem/

Summary
The development of our nation's human capital through our education system is an essential building block for future innovation. Currently, the abilities of far too many of America's young men and women go unrecognized and underdeveloped, and, thus, they fail to reach their full potential. This represents a loss for both the individual and society. There are students with high potential from every demographic and from every part of our country, who with hard work and the proper educational opportunities, will form the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) innovators. The National Science Board (Board) believes that the recommendations set forth in this report will help ensure a legacy of continued prosperity and a renewed aspiration towards equity and excellence in U.S. STEM education.

Background for the STEM Innovators Project
To produce this report, in August 2008, the Board charged the Committee on Education and Human Resources to form an ad hoc Task Group on STEM Innovators. The Task Group was directed to identify strategies for increasing the number of future STEM innovators and synthesize recommendations for how the National Science Foundation (NSF), and possibly other Federal entities, might engage in fostering the development of these individuals. This report and the recommendations set forth herein are based on the findings from an expert panel discussion held on August 23-25, 2009, and a 2-year examination of the issue by the ad hoc Task Group.

FULL PUBLICATION AVAILABLE
Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing Our Nation's Human Capital (Full Report; PDF)
National STEM Action Plan
A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System
Download A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System.

Paper copies of the action plan can be ordered by submitting a Web-based order form at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/orderpub.jsp.

PCAST (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) STEM Report

PCAST (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) STEM Report

PCAST Releases Major Report on STEM—Today the White House Office of Science and Technology will release the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology long-awaited final report on actions the federal government can take to strengthen STEM education. The report goes directly to President Obama and is sure to have an impact on future policy and funding decisions.

Link to full report
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp

You might want to take a look at some of the recent reports. Please post your comments.

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM INNOVATORS: INDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING OUR NATIONS HUMAN CAPITAL

http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/stem/

Summary
The development of our nation's human capital through our education system is an essential building block for future innovation. Currently, the abilities of far too many of America's young men and women go unrecognized and underdeveloped, and, thus, they fail to reach their full potential. This represents a loss for both the individual and society. There are students with high potential from every demographic and from every part of our country, who with hard work and the proper educational opportunities, will form the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) innovators. The National Science Board (Board) believes that the recommendations set forth in this report will help ensure a legacy of continued prosperity and a renewed aspiration towards equity and excellence in U.S. STEM education.
Background for the STEM Innovators Project
To produce this report, in August 2008, the Board charged the Committee on Education and Human Resources to form an ad hoc Task Group on STEM Innovators. The Task Group was directed to identify strategies for increasing the number of future STEM innovators and synthesize recommendations for how the National Science Foundation (NSF), and possibly other Federal entities, might engage in fostering the development of these individuals. This report and the recommendations set forth herein are based on the findings from an expert panel discussion held on August 23-25, 2009, and a 2-year examination of the issue by the ad hoc Task Group.

FULL PUBLICATION AVAILABLE
Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing Our Nation's Human Capital (Full Report; PDF)
National STEM Action Plan
A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System
Download A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System.

Paper copies of the action plan can be ordered by submitting a Web-based order form at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/orderpub.jsp.

We invite you and your students to participate in the second annual Calculus Field Day at Northeastern University, a half-day event drawing students from across the region to a team-based calculus problem- solving competition, held on Wednesday, April 14th (1:30 – 4:30 PM).

There has been strong positive feedback in previous years from teachers and students alike who have been excited to gather and work
collectively in a forum focused on math. This year we are
expanding the experience and are inviting students to return to
Northeastern the following afternoon at 4:00 PM for an exclusive
presentation of ‘Calculus – The Musical’ performed by a nationally
touring cast from Matheatre.


Calculus Field Day is part of a larger ‘Calculus Days’ experience at
Northeastern focusing on emphasizing the importance of high
mathematics achievement and mathematical research for our society.

How Does It Work?
Teams of three students from each school will work collaboratively on
a group of assigned calculus problems for a set period of time, with
awards given to teams from each category and division.

Teams will be placed in one of three category areas (Pre-Calculus,
Calculus, and AP Calculus) based upon the course they are currently
taking in school.


What Do I Need To Do?
Right now, we just need you to provide us with the number of teams you
intend to submit, as well as the names of calculus teachers
accompanying students on Calculus Field Day. We have established a
quick and easy form via

SurveyMonkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
calculusfieldday2010)

which you can use to reply to us with this
information. (Alternatively, you can respond directly to this e-mail
with the participating teacher and student information).

We encourage you to submit as many teams as you are able. However,
for space reasons, schools are limited to submitting 2 teams per
category area (2 teams of 3 students each, for Pre-Calculus, Calculus,
and AP Calculus).

As in previous years, participating teachers will receive a packet of
practice calculus problems via e-mail four weeks in advance to begin
preparing students for the competition.


Important Information
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time: 1:30 – 4:30 PM
Location: Northeastern University (Curry Student Center – McLeod
Suites)
Food: Food for students and teachers will be provided at 3:30 PM


More information including a detailed schedule is forthcoming.

Any specific questions can be directed to Stephanie Crisp
(s.cr...@neu.edu; 617-373-8380).

We look forward to your participation this year!

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Applications are now being accepted for the Research Experience for Undergraduates Program through both the Gordon Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging - http://www.censsis.neu.edu/education/REU/

and the Department of Homeland Security Center - ALERT
http://www.censsis.neu.edu/education/REU/.

Please contact Kristin Hicks at khicks@coe.neu.edu if you have questions about the summer program.

Summer Research Opportunity for Teachers and Community College Faculty - Northeastern University

Summer Research Opportunity for Teachers and Community College Faculty - Northeastern University

The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
program is a six-week summer research experience for high school mathematics and science teachers and Community College Faculty funded by the National Science Foundation. Participants work in state-of-the-art research laboratories affiliated with the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Engineering, The Bernard M. Gordon Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS), the Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT) Center, and the Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN).

A stipend of $6,000 will be provided to participants in addition to $500 for classroom materials and supplies.

Professional development for participating teachers is provided by the Center for STEM Education.
Completed applications must be received by April 2, 2010. Applicants will be notified of their status via email by April 16, 2010. Due to the intensity of the program, we cannot make provision for vacation or personal time during the program except under extreme circumstances.
Please feel free to contact Claire Duggan, Project Director (c.duggan@neu.edu) at 617.373.2036 with any questions.

For more information about the Research Experiences for Teachers at Northeastern University program, visit http://www.stem.neu.edu/ret.htm