Early STEM inquiry, teaching, and mentored research opportunities integrate active learning and culturally responsive pedagogy to build early social capital and create a diverse STEM teacher community. To address the urgent need for qualified
and adaptive STEM teachers and to improve the next generation of STEM students’ achievement and engagement, the RISE Ready Program recruits, prepares, and supports community college and lower division underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students to serve in rural, high need local education agencies such as Middle Schools and High Schools. The collaborative partnership between California State University Monterey Bay, Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, and Monterey Peninsula College results in early entry points for STEM Teacher Pathways. The Next Generation Science Standards Regional Collaborative Teacher Network coordinated by the County Office of Education provide an early, inclusive STEM community of practice with access to current in-service teachers and best STEM practices. Examples of student experiences include facilitating learning in the Greenfield and Salinas Community Science Workshops, where students utilize design thinking and engineering to build and test prototypes. Other examples include engineering design at Rancho Cielo, life science through SEEDS4STEM, and the Billion Oyster Project. Each of these experiences provides opportunities to learn and teach STEM. Transforming early experiences of future teachers from the local region will develop qualified STEM educators capable of investing in the next generation of scientists in rural districts and communities. Qualified and innovative STEM teachers in rural districts will exponentially develop the STEM workforce to meet emerging critical needs.

NSF Awards: 2050336

Presented in: 2022 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grade Level: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate