Project STEP Overview

 

STEMLOGO8 Years Cumulative: 2001-2009
Number of NSF GK-12 STEP Fellowships: 38
Number of Fellow created classroom lessons: 115
Number of STEP School: 14
Number of STEP Teachers: 114
Number of secondary students impacted by STEP: Approximately 6,000

           

Project STEP (Science and Technology Enhancement Program) is one community partnership taking aim at improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills and communication. Funded by an NSF (the U.S.A. National Science Foundation) GK-12 grant in 2001, Project STEP is based at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, U.S.A. Although operated and managed at the university level, Project STEP is a true community partnership interacting with graduate students as Fellows, secondary schools, secondary teachers, secondary students, and university faculty. Directly in contact with these teachers and students for 10 hours each week are university graduate students, called Fellows. The graduate Fellows also work in conjunction with their research advisors while involved with Project STEP.
     

The graduate Fellows are the focus of the grant. Accordingly, goal one of Project STEP emphasizes a need for improved communication of STEM subjects by the graduate Fellows, or in other words the future faculty of STEM disciplines. With these graduate Fellows interacting with secondary students and teachers on a weekly basis, their ability to explain the research that they do becomes more succinct, efficient, and knowledge level appropriate. Additionally, there are goals concerning student learning and sustainability of the STEP program.
     

Evidence of graduate Fellow improvements is gathered via weekly self reports, lesson plans, interaction with engineering and education faculty, and the successful completion of four courses. The Fellows participate in a summer training course, called Instructional Planning, which prepares the graduate Fellows for their upcoming interactions and work with secondary teachers and students. The course involves training of secondary school culture, lesson planning, and meta-cognitive activities regarding the graduate Fellow experiences. The Fellows continue their training during the academic year with practicum classes.
      

The graduate Fellows are required to create five major lessons during the academic year for use in the secondary classroom. These lessons must contain measurable objectives, a STEM focus, an engineering connection, a hands-on activity, both pre and post assessment and an ending review. Graduate Fellows are free to create lessons that reflect both their personality and their expertise in STEM content.