We need to introduce our students to the multiple and exciting STEM careers found in the adult world. But to do this, we need to train incoming teachers and “retrain” our present teachers with STEM objectives and STEM influencing activities. This is where-in lies the problem that my proposal will assist.
The colleges can adjust their courses to include STEM objectives for the future science and math teachers (pre-service teachers). The present teachers can learn the STEM objectives through professional development workshops. Many organizations are already offering incentives, activities, PD workshops, and the like. Everybody is trying to do the same thing, but going about it differently. But how are the present teachers going to have the opportunity for any of the STEM PDs?

Problema

Washington State has a majority of their teachers working in rural areas. They are not having the opportunity to engage in STEM training that the urban teachers are gaining. My group intends to change this.

Solução

My solution offers the opportunity for rural teachers to not have expenses: travel, hotel, mileage, food, time-off work. These are reasons that most rural teachers do not attend workshops held in urban areas. This is innovative, as most Professional Development workshops are held in the urban cities (of which Washington has three large ones). My group will travel to them. My one or two trainers cost far less to go to the rural teachers.

Exemplo

My group of STEM trainers will travel to the rural districts to offer STEM training to them. The cost of one trainer is less than having the rural teachers each drive, hotel, time off, etc. The training is more convienent to them. This will create an incentive/motivation to take advantage of the STEM training, as the STEM initiatives dictate.

Ofertas e demandas

My competitors are the groups that receive the monies (grants, awards, assistantships, business allies, etc.) for them to present a PD workshop(s) in the urban areas (even with the same STEM initiative intent.) They will stunt my group's ability to offer the STEM training. The less assistance, the fewer rural teachers that will be offered this opportunity for STEM training. However, the number of children being denied STEM teaching is very high.