• Interested in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) education?
  This site showcases each of the STEM education and outreach programs offered by the College of Charleston. Please feel free to contact these programs for more information.

Program Name: James Island Accelerated Program (JIAP)

Topic: Acceleration of over-age middle school students

Audience: Middle school students who have repeated at least one time and are over-age for their grade

Program Description:  JIAP works with small groups of over-age middle school students so that they can complete two years of instruction in one year, moving closer to their age peers. Through intensive focus on reading and language arts and math and with emotional and behavioral support, students complete seventh and eighth grade in one year. The incentive is for student to get back on track academically and to develop better social and behavioral skills that will help them successfully complete high school.

Relevance: The program illustrates the importance of intervening in students’ lives and giving them a second chance

Support: Students do not receive financial support. The College of Charleston provides a director and some funding for enrichment activities
 
Point of Contact: Christine Finnan, School of Education, Health and Human Performance, 843-953-4826, finnanc@cofc.edu

Program Name: Center for Partnerships to Improve Education

Topic: School Improvement

Program Description: The Center for Partnerships to Improve Education is a consortium of educators, school districts, business, and civic leaders, and communities collaborating to strengthen the educational outcomes of students in South Carolina . Located in the College of Charleston 's School of Education , Health, and Human Performance, it was established in 2005 to address improvement of PreK-12 education in South Carolina . There are three strands associated with the partnership-Teaching and Learning (staffed by College of Charleston education professors), Research, and Community Outreach.

Relevance: The Center for Partnerships to Improve Education goals are to:

• Improve performance and reduce the dropout rate
• Increase enrollment of minority and low-income students in institutions of higher learning
• Prepare youth for employment in the 21 st century workforce
• Re-engage disaffected students in education
• Educate teacher candidates to work effectively in low-performing schools and to seek employment in such schools
• Establish expectations, incentives, and professional development for teachers to make a long-term commitment to work in low-performing schools
• Improve understanding in higher education and businesses of the issues limiting urban and rural students' futures and identify ways to address these issues

Support: Professional development, networking opportunities, tutoring support and resources are provided to partnership teachers; technical assistance and resources are offered to partnership administrators. Resources and professional development are available to the local PreK-12 education community.

Point of Contact: Dr. Paula Egelson, Center for Partnerships to Improve Education, 843-953-7629, egelsonp@cofc.edu, www.cofc.edu/~partnerships

Program Name: College of Charleston Math Meet

Topic: Primarily mathematics, but additionally a bit of chemistry, physics and computer science

Audience: High school students of all levels of mathematical ability from throughout the Southeastern US

Program Description: The Math Meet is an annual competition for high school students run on the campus of the College of Charleston. Like many other such competitions, high schools send "teams" to compete for prizes and awards. However, in many ways this competition is unlike any other. For one thing, it is much larger, attracting about 800 students each year. Moreover, we have lots of different events for students of all different levels of ability so that many people can win prizes. Finally, we strive to make sure that the events are not only challenging and rewarding, but also FUN. We frequently hear from teachers that they can motivate their students to work hard all year just on the promise that they can attend our Math Meet.

Relevance: Extra-curricular activities, such as school "math clubs" and "programming teams", are an important part of the education of those students who choose to participate in them. This is an opportunity for future educators to see how these sorts of activities can inspire and motivate students to excel in their coursework.

Support: Lunch and a t-shirt are provided to volunteers. The money to support this event is derived entirely from registration fees paid by the participants and t-shirt sales. CofC students are needed to assist in the execution of the Math Meet held each February.

Point of Contact: Alex Kasman, Department of Mathematics, 843.953.8018, kasmana@cofc.edu, http://math.cofc.edu/mathmeet.htm

Program Name: Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) / Chandrayaan-1

Topic: High Resolution Mapping Spectrometer on India’s First Mission to the Moon

Audience: COFC School of Science & Mathematics & Education majors and minors

Program Description:  Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) is one of eleven instruments selected to fly onboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in Spring 2008.  M3 was selected as a NASA Discovery Mission of Opportunity in May, 2004. M3 is a high spatial and spectral resolution spectrometer that will help scientists better understand the compositional variation of the Moon’s surface.  M3’s overall science strategies to 1) characterize and map the lunar surface composition in the context of its geologic evolution and 2) assess the Moon’s mineral resources at high spatial resolution both support the Vision and align with the National Academy’s decadal survey. A robust education and outreach program underway to help share the exciting results of the Chandrayaan-1 and M3 mission. The M3 Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) plan is built upon strategic partnerships with formal and informal educators and scientists from across the country who promote STEM literacy and awareness.

Relevance: Excellent opportunity for COFC students interested in NASA mission-related and/or science education to gain experience working with data and curricular activities.

Support: Mission-oriented talks; Professional development workshops for formal, informal and Homeschool educators. M3 Classroom kits available for short-term loan include: hand-held spectrometers, moon globe, rock samples, moon maps and more. Note: If you are located out of the Lowcountry area there is a nominal charge for shipping.

Program Name: National Chemistry Week (NCW)

Topic: Chemistry

Audience: General public and COFC chemistry majors and minors

Program Description: NCW is a national event that occurs each year during the week of October 23. The COFC hosts an event each year for K-12 students during which they complete hands-on activities based on the NCW theme. COFC chemistry majors and minors are needed to facilitate hands-on science education activities during the event. Training on the activities is provided prior to the event. To become involved in this COFC effort please contact Starr Jordan (see point of contact below). For more detailed information visit the NCW Website at http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=ncw%5Cncw_index.html

Relevance: Excellent opportunity for COFC students interested in science education to gain experience working with K-12 students in an informal setting.

Support: Coffee, doughnuts, and lunch are provided for the volunteers.

Program Name: South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation (SCAMP)

Topic: Science, Engineering, Mathematics

Audience: College of Charleston science and mathematics majors

Program Description: The SCAMP program is designed to increase the quality and quantity of undergraduate minority students completing baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET).  Underrepresented minorities entering the College of Charleston and planning to major in science or mathematics may apply for SCAMP membership. Through the SCAMP program students engage in a variety of activities that help to maximize their chances for success in the SMET curriculum throughout their matriculation at the College of Charleston.  Benefits include a bridge program, peer mentoring, research projects, stipends and scholarships, and a variety of activities aimed at academic and career development. The parent organization of SCAMP is The Louis Stokes South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation Program, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. For more information and details of requirements, visit the SCAMP webpage at the College of Charleston (http://www.cofc.edu/~msps/scamp), or the statewide website (http://scamp.scsu.edu).

Relevance: The long-term goal of SCAMP is to increase the number of students matriculating in graduate studies in the STEM fields. Therefore, it is ideal for students who plan to enter education, research, or similar professions.

Support: Stipends and small scholarships.  

Point of Contact: Christine Moore, Director of SCAMP, (843) 953-4997, mooreC@cofc.edu, http://www.cofc.edu/~msps/scamp

Program Name: South Carolina Earth System Science Education Alliance (SC-ESSEA)

Topic: Earth System Science

Audience: Middle and High School in-service, pre-service and home school educators enrolled in graduate programs or seeking recertification credits from within Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester 2 and Dorchester 4 school districts. In 2009 we will target in-service and pre-service educators from the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium member institutions.

Program Description:
ESSEA is funded through a cooperative agreement awarded to the Institute for Global and Environmental Strategies by the National Science Foundation under its Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) program, which supports projects designed to improve the quality of geoscience education, primarily at the middle and high school levels. The SC-ESSEA at the COFC will offer a series of online Earth system science courses, aligned to national education standards and geared toward teachers of middle and high school students of SC. Working in collaborative groups, teachers who enroll in an ESSEA course can earn undergraduate, graduate or continuing education credit while learning to teach Earth system science using inquiry-based classroom methods. To view the ESSEA courses please visit: http://essea.strategies.org/courses/

Relevance: Provides standards based professional development for middle and high school educators.

Support: Costs for Continuing Education Units and/or Professional Development Course Credits will be covered by the SC-ESSEA grant, as well as, applicable course materials. This project is also seeking to employ a COFC graduate student.

Point of Contact: Cynthia Hall, Lowcountry Hall of Science and Math, 843.953.7852, hallcr@cofc.edu, www.cofc.edu/lowcountryhall/essea

Program Name: Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA)

Topic: undergraduate research and creative activities across all disciplines

Audience: C OF C undergraduate students

Program Description: The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) Program at the College of Charleston supports creative and scholarly efforts undertaken by undergraduate students in collaboration with faculty mentors. These projects advance the knowledge of the student in an academic discipline, lead to new scholarly insights, and create new works that expand the wealth of the discipline. Participation by an undergraduate in a challenging, scholarly project can be the single most important experience that a student will have in college. Many people have realized their career ambitions and potential as a result of these endeavors, and the training and knowledge gained from the experience are often key factors in the acquisition of professional positions and acceptance in post-graduate programs. The URCA Program supports undergraduate scholarship by offering competitive grants that fund projects, that provide summer stipends for students, and that enable travel to conferences for dissemination of the work. Our broader mission is to enhance and strengthen the quality and quantity of URCA on our campus.

Relevance: Excellent opportunity for COFC undergraduates to gain intensive experience in a field of study and work with a faculty mentor.

Support: There are several grants to fund research and travel, including support during the academic year and the summer.

Point of Contact: Cynthia May, Department of Psychology, 843-953-6735, mayc@cofc.edu, www.cofc.edu/ur