INL News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2015
NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laura Scheele, 219-381-8672, Laura.Scheele@inl.gov
Misty Benjamin, 208-351-9900, Misty.Benjamin@inl.gov
Idaho educators to receive new teaching tools at i-STEM Summer Institutes
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho educators will learn about science, technology, engineering and math-based topics and how to use the information in their classrooms during six low-cost workshops held around the state in June.
The teacher workshops are organized by the Idaho STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) initiative, or i-STEM — a partnership of educators, government agencies, organizations and private companies working to improve STEM education in the state. Nearly 600 educators are expected to attend this year’s i-STEM Summer Institutes, which will be held:
• Eastern Idaho Technical College: June 16-19
• North Idaho College: June 15-18
• Lewis-Clark State College: June 15-18
• Idaho State University: June 22-25
• College of Southern Idaho: June 22-25
• College of Western Idaho: June 23-26
“We have an impressive team reaching across the state to sponsor and support this large-scale professional development opportunity for Idaho educators,” said Anne Seifert, executive director of i-STEM and INL’s K-12 education coordinator. “The i-STEM program is a nationally and internationally recognized STEM professional development model that aids educators in integration of new ideas, methods and technologies in their curriculum.”
This is the sixth year i-STEM has sponsored the K-12 teacher professional development summer institutes. Since 2010, the number of workshops has expanded from two to six, and hundreds of educators and administrators have participated.
During the workshops, participants choose from over 40 specific topics to study, such as energy, aerospace, space, sustainability, food safety, computer science, manufacturing, robotics, environment, agriculture, gold mining, aeronautics and health care. They attend sessions taught by STEM experts. Educators also participate in general sessions to learn how to integrate STEM, 21st century skills, career awareness, and practices of the Idaho Core Standards into all the subjects they teach. Participants receive continuing education credits and resource kits.
The i-STEM institutes are funded and supported by a state of Idaho Math and Science Partnership Grant and i-STEM business, industry and community-based partners. I-STEM members include Idaho National Laboratory, Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho’s community colleges and technical schools, the Idaho State Department of Education, Idaho State Board of Education, the Yellowstone Association, Code.org®, Glanbia, Texas Instruments, Department of Energy, U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Gas, Micron, Idaho Technology Council, Idaho Power and many others. More information is available at www.sde.idaho.gov/site/istem.
