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Media Advisory 13-011

Harnessing the Power of Engineering to Improve STEM Education in K-12 Schools

June 12 event on Capitol Hill highlights the "E" in STEM education

student watching 3-D printer

Many K-12 teachers are not aware of how engineering can be used to improve student performance.


June 10, 2013

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Engineering concepts and the design process are integral parts of many college- and career-ready standards, including the recently-released state-led next-generation science standards (NGSS). But many K-12 teachers are not aware of how engineering can be used to inspire and improve student performance.

On June 12, the National Science Foundation (NSF) co-sponsors an event with DISCOVER Magazine and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to share the hallmarks of successful K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education--described in an NSF-funded National Research Council report--and to give examples of innovative research-based tools for engineering education, developed with NSF funding through NSF's Education and Human Resources directorate.

The discussion will be moderated by Stephen George, editor-in-chief at DISCOVER magazine, and will feature Mo Hosni, vice president, ASME Education; Joan Ferrini-Mundy, assistant director, NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources; Christine Cunningham, founder and director of Engineering is Elementary, and vice president at the Museum of Science in Boston; and Leigh Abts, research associate professor, A. James Clark School of Engineering, and the College of Education at the University of Maryland. The event is expected to be widely attended.

Who:

Leaders in STEM education

What:

Capitol Hill briefing about the value of engineering education in K-12 schools

When:

Wednesday, June 12, noon - 1:30 p.m.

Where:

Room B-338, Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C.

The Twitter hashtag for this event is #STEM_CapHill.

Media interested in attending the event should contact Maria Zacharias at mzachari@nsf.gov.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Maria C. Zacharias, NSF, (703) 292-8454, email: mzachari@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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