New partnership provides teachers and students with STEM learning experiences

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University and community partners are joining forces to create high quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning experiences for students within the Greater Kalamazoo area. Funded through a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, WMU's Integrated Network of STEM Partnerships Investing in Resources for Equity (INSPIRE) program will significantly benefit students and teachers at Comstock and Kalamazoo Public Schools.

WMU students designed, built and launched catapults for an STEM assignment in Dr. Meredith Reinhart's teaching methods course.

According to Dr. Meredith Reinhart, assistant professor of elementary education and INSPIRE's principal investigator, the program's goal is to increase the quality and opportunities of STEM learning for children in the K-3rd grade levels.

 

"We needed to do something about this, so we started thinking about offering professional development for teachers to get them excited about teaching STEM," says Reinhart. "Then I spoke with the Comstock Public School's superintendent and principal of the Comstock STEM Academy and they talked about how it would be really great if their students had opportunities to visit different venues to learn. Due to poverty and lack of transportation, some students rarely get to go to places like the zoo or nature center."

Dr. Suzan Piazza, chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies adds, "INSPIRE will build a foundation for improved early childhood and elementary science education that will likely increase future success in science and the pursuit of STEM-related careers and will thus improve the economic impacts of the pandemic in this underserved community."

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Dr. Meredith Reibnhart, left, and WMU students hold a python during a class visit from the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary.

The INSPIRE program will be looking to improve STEM education from multiple angles, including: 

• Teacher training: Culturally-relevant professional development workshops will be provided each summer for preschool through 3rd-grade teachers.

• Inquiry-based learning: Teachers will be equipped with resources and strategies to support inquiry-based learning within their classrooms, fostering curiosity and a deeper understanding of STEM concepts.
• Family engagement: Over 1,800 families will have access to free monthly educational science events, including transportation to WMU and partner locations (see below).
• Online resources: Through an interactive website, all families within the two school districts will have access to STEM resources and opportunities to win educational prizes through online contests. Prizes will include memberships to science organizations, children's books, and other related materials. 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

With a shared goal of improving STEM education for Comstock and Kalamazoo children, WMU will be connecting with the following organizations for events and future learning experiences: Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum, Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery.

WMU EDUCATION STUDENTS

The INSPIRE program will also be providing valuable hands-on experiences for Western's future educators. Undergraduates in education programs will have the opportunity to work with children at science events and student teach within the classrooms of INSPIRE teachers.

"The INSPIRE program has ignited our education students' passion for science and will provide them with invaluable real-world insights and mentorship," says Katherine Suender, faculty specialist I in elementary education.

Interested in joining the INSPIRE program as a teacher leader or teacher participant? Please contact Dr. Meredith Reinhart.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.