JUNE 24, 2024:
The South Dakota Discovery Center based in Pierre is a part of a research collaboration that’s been awarded nearly $8 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
Discovery Center Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman says the funding comes from what’s called EPSCoR E-CORE RII (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program). Currently, she says the Discovery Center is the only organization in the state that is training scientists to become better science communicators.
The full project is led by a team at the Center for Advancement of Math and Science Education (CAMSE) at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
Waldman says students begin taking STEM classes in elementary school, but most elementary school teachers are not scientists and don’t specialize in teaching STEM topics.
Waldman says the collaboration is also working on ways to connect with learners with different abilities.
Waldman says EPSCoR is a cornerstone of their ability to provide K-12 students and teachers with access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) researchers. She says South Dakota was one of three states whose teams secured this grant. New Hampshire and Maine also received approximately $8 million each, contributing to a total investment of around $24 million from the NSF.
JUNE 21, 2024:
The South Dakota Discovery Center based in Pierre is a part of a research collaboration that’s been awarded nearly $8 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
Discovery Center Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman says the funding comes from what’s called EPSCoR E-CORE RII (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program). She says the full project is led by a team at the Center for Advancement of Math and Science Education (CAMSE) at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
Waldman says EPSCoR is a cornerstone of their ability to provide K-12 students and teachers with access to researchers working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Waldman says having the Tribal educational institutions involved helps engage a large group of students who may not normally have pathways to develop interest in STEM topics to become motivated to work in STEM fields in South Dakota.
Waldman says the project could become a national model for connecting individuals that are geographically isolated to STEM education at the pre-college level and post-secondary education levels.
MAY 30, 2024:
The South Dakota Discovery Center in Pierre is a part of a research project that’s been awarded nearly $8 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
The funding comes from what’s called EPSCoR E-CORE RII (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program). The full project is led by a team at the Center for Advancement of Math and Science Education (CAMSE) at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
Discovery Center Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman says EPSCoR is a cornerstone of their ability to work with professional scientists to get researchers into classrooms. She says the project will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) researchers and K-12 students and teachers to create a pipeline of the next generation of the STEM workforce in South Dakota.
Waldman says over the next four years, the project will work to meet the challenge of creating pathways for young learners to develop interest and confidence in STEM topics and become motivated to work in STEM fields across the state. She says the project could become a national model for connecting individuals that are geographically isolated to STEM education at the pre-college level and post-secondary education levels.
Waldman says the project’s collaborative approach involves multiple stakeholders, including universities and industry partners. By fostering partnerships between these entities, the initiative aims to create a comprehensive and sustainable STEM education network. She says South Dakota was among just three states whose teams secured this grant. New Hampshire and Maine also received approximately $8 million each, contributing to a total investment of around $24 million from the NSF.
SDDC offers statewide resources to expand hands-on STEM exploration, education, and empowerment, impacting 500 South Dakota classrooms and more than 15,000 students each year. Its EPSCoR projects bring science communication courses to professional scientists and STEM professionals and connect scientists with K-12 educators. Find out more at sd-discovery.org.
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