CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An initiative launched Monday is aimed at raising awareness of STEM topics and careers to elementary school students in Lincoln and Logan counties.
The Education Alliance and Reasoning Mind announced Energizing steM, a three-year investment to provide elementary schools online math software, in addition to related professional development for teachers.
Amelia Courts, president and CEO of the Education Alliance, said teachers are excited about the program’s potential and the support they have already received.
“It gives them real-time data about their students and how they are doing, and also allows them to customize the activities and lessons that each student is working on,” she said. “In a case of 25 students, they are really enabling the students to advance at their own personal rate. When they have a certain math concept down, they can move forward.”
The program will also include efforts to increase public engagement aimed at providing residents an understanding of the need for STEM careers.
Courts said results form the investment will be noticeable between the first and third year.
“I would say that three-year mark — year one, year two, year three — we will see what I call short-term gains,” she said. “This is a research-backed program, so there is data to support those expectations that students will make progress in their math.”
The program is the result of $450,000 donation from American Electric Power Foundation. More than 2,200 students will participate in the program.