Sharing ideas and inspiration for engagement, inclusion, and excellence in STEM
Vernier Trendsetter Spotlight: Cecelia Gillam, Environmental Science Teacher at Hahnville High School
Vernier Science Education is proud to spotlight one of our new Trendsetters, Cecelia Gillam! The Vernier Trendsetters Community offers educators a forum to enhance their teaching skills through the use of Vernier technology and to engage in meaningful collaboration with like-minded leading STEM educators.
Cecelia is a high school environmental science teacher at Hahnville High School in Boutte, Louisiana with more than 17 years of teaching experience in K–12 science classes. She has recently completed her Doctorate in Education at Southeastern Louisiana University focusing on underrepresented groups in STEM. Outside of the classroom, you can find her sharing educator stories on her podcast “Surviving Crazy,” spending time with her children, and working with various organizations such as The Black Teacher Project and Beyond 100K to increase equity in STEM.
Five Trailblazing Female Asian American & Pacific Islander Scientists with Impactful STEM Legacies
May is National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an excellent time to help your students learn about the pivotal contributions Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have made to the STEM fields—and continue to make today! As we celebrate their accomplishments, it’s also important to acknowledge the gaps in visibility within these groups, particularly among AAPI women in science. For example, recent studies have shown women in this demographic are notably less likely to be employed in leadership positions in STEM, even when highly educated. This discrepancy also persists in educational resources, where textbooks continue to underrepresent women and people of color in STEM. To help spotlight their considerable academic and scientific research contributions, here are five influential AAPI women whose stories and achievements you can share with your students, as well as a few experiment ideas to connect with their research.
Empowering Students through Career-Based Learning and STEM Representation in Physics and Engineering Classrooms
Anticipating a projected 10.8% growth in STEM occupations over the next decade, the STEM Academy of Hollywood, a pilot high school in Hollywood, California, emphasizes career-focused education. The school centers on two career pathways: Engineering and Biomedical Science, utilizing curriculum from Project Lead the Way. Regine Rosas, who comes from a biomedical engineering background, teaches physics and electives in the engineering pathway to help students prepare for the evolving STEM landscape.
Supporting GEAR UP Schools with Science and Math Instruction and Technology Implementation: A Q&A with Linda Antinone
Linda Antinone’s overarching goal is simple: help more underrepresented students be successful, especially when it comes to STEM. Linda is an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, educational specialist, coach, trainer, and author with extensive experience teaching advanced mathematics and science courses in urban high schools, creating STEM education curricula, and developing legislation on education, poverty, science, and technology.
Meeting the Needs of All Learners in Every Vernier Connections™ Lesson
At Vernier, our goal is to help all students become STEM-literate citizens. So, as we develop lessons for Vernier Connections, it is critical that we design a journey that will support the learning of all students.
Latino STEM Alliance: Sparking Interest in Science Exploration for Underserved Youth with Robotics and Project-Based Learning
Hispanic workers represent just 8 percent of the STEM workforce, according to the Pew Research Center. The Latino STEM Alliance (LSA) seeks to increase that number.
Culturally Responsive STEM Programming: Indigenous Communities and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is dedicated to serving all of Oregon and firmly believes in the importance of culturally responsive STEM education. OMSI is also committed to collaborating with American Indian Tribes and Indigenous communities to co-develop programming that meets their needs and is rooted in their culture and values.
“Be the Spark that Makes All the Difference”: Addressing Barriers to Latino Representation in STEM
The mission of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is to “change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.” We recently sat down with the organization’s chief research and innovation officer, Dr. Kimberly Douglas, to discuss the current state of—and actions being taken to increase—Latino representation in STEM. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Research Behind a Whole-Student Approach to STEM Education
Dr. Ashlie Denton is a senior researcher in equitable learning environments at Education Northwest, an education research nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of a 2021 report titled “The State of STEM Learning.” Dr. Denton’s work includes evaluating research-based best practices for project-based learning and out-of-school-time STEM programming. She recently discussed with Vernier the research basis for a whole-student approach to STEM education. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The GEMS Camp: Empowering Girls of Color to Shine in STEM
With an emphasis on serving middle school and high school students, The GEMS Camp seeks to increase the representation of women of color in science and STEM. This Texas-based nonprofit was founded in 2010, and it offers holistic programming in five areas: academics, career, creativity, leadership, and service. According to its website, “The GEMS Camp is one of the few girl-centric organizations founded and led by a Black female STEM educator.”
Creating Culturally Representative Science Curricula: A Q&A with Dr. Catherine Quinlan
Dr. Catherine Quinlan is a science education researcher and assistant professor at Howard University, one of the premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. She recently discussed with Vernier the crucial work of creating culturally representative science curricula for both K–12 and college students. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Three Nonprofits Dedicated to Black Educators’ Development, Retention, and Success
In the United States, more than half of public school students—but only about 20 percent of public school teachers—identify as people of color, according to a recent article in Time magazine. In addition, a 2020 study by Digital Promise found that the turnover rate is higher for teachers of color than white teachers, and it may be increasing.
Infusing Native Culture into STEM and More: Spotlight on the Paris Gibson Education Center
The garden at the Paris Gibson Education Center, an alternative high school in Great Falls, Montana, is much more than a spot where plants grow.
How Equitable Broadband Access Supports STEM Learning in Tribal Areas
Reliable and high-speed internet connectivity is a must-have for effective online learning. However, only about 65 percent of the population in rural tribal areas has broadband access, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, compared with 99 percent of the population in urban areas.
What Educators Need to Understand to Fully Support Native Students
Note: Jacqueline Keeler is a Diné/Dakota writer living in Portland, Oregon. Her writing has appeared in The Nation, NBC News, The New York Times, and many other publications. Keeler has been interviewed on PRI's The World, BBC, MSNBC, and Democracy Now.
The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program: Developing Leaders
What if there were a way to set students up for STEM success starting in kindergarten and going all the way through graduate school?
How One Nonprofit is Increasing Indigenous Representation in STEM
A lack of diversity persists in the higher education pipeline for STEM jobs, especially in fields like computing and engineering, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center.
Supporting Educator Diversity in Today’s Classrooms: Three Teacher Preparation Programs to Check Out
With young Latinx learners representing a large percentage of the student population, more Latinx educators are needed in today’s classrooms. The Latinx student population is expected to continue to grow, and “research shows that schools and districts with teachers that reflect the cultural, racial, and/or linguistic backgrounds of Latinx students are better equipped to support them,” according to the education policy report Paving the Way for Latinx Teachers: Recruitment and Preparation to Promote Educator Diversity from New America.
Empowering Ideas for Engaging Latinx Students in STEM
Boosting STEM exposure, opportunities, and engagement all go a long way in creating STEM-literate students and supporting the next generation of Latinx STEM leaders. But, outside of the classroom or lab, where can students go to receive STEM support? And where can they learn more about potential careers and research environments they could pursue in the field?
Celebrating Latinx Scientists and Their Work: Resources for Your Classroom
National Hispanic Heritage Month offers a great opportunity for students to learn about the many Latinx contributions to STEM.
Latinx Scientists You Should Have Learned About in School
Latinx scientists have made a measurable impact in the scientific community. With September 15 marking the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, now is a great time to introduce students to notable Latinx scientists, while offering hands-on investigations
like these that connect to their areas of research.
Raising Climate Change Awareness: Spotlight on Researcher and Advocate Nicole Hernandez Hammer
Nicole Hernandez Hammer wears many hats—she is a sea level researcher, a climate change expert, and an environmental justice advocate. And, as part of this overarching work, she is focused on the important and timely issue of how climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color.
Transforming Science Education Post-Pandemic
If nothing else, the last 18 months during this worldwide pandemic have demonstrated the fragility and limitations of our education system. We asked more of teachers as they addressed a broadening range of student needs during an exceedingly difficult time that was amplified by gross inequities in technology for teaching and learning.
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