The MindSET Program
Pedagogical research indicates that most students learn by doing things. Yet emphasis on the use of kinesthetic(hands-on) delivery and learning in the classroom are not widely embraced.
The MindSET program's mission is to expand the use of kinesthetics in the teaching/learning process for Math and Science, and establish and support math and science intervention programs that contribute to enhanced preparation of students in the K-12 system in the United States, thus enabling them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines, preparing them for competitive success in the global marketplace, and equipping them for driving the nation's economy.
About You
About You
First Name
Dylan
Last Name
Lane
About Your Organization
Organization Name
The Tau Beta Pi Association
Organization Website
Organization Phone
865-546-4578
Organization Address
508 Dougherty Engineering Bldg., 1512 Middle Drive - UTK
Organization Country
United States, TN, Knox County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Entry Form title
The MindSET Program
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Pedagogical research indicates that most students learn by doing things. Yet emphasis on the use of kinesthetic(hands-on) delivery and learning in the classroom are not widely embraced.
The MindSET program's mission is to expand the use of kinesthetics in the teaching/learning process for Math and Science, and establish and support math and science intervention programs that contribute to enhanced preparation of students in the K-12 system in the United States, thus enabling them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines, preparing them for competitive success in the global marketplace, and equipping them for driving the nation's economy.
What are the primary activities of your project?
1. MindSET volunteers host hands-on lab sessions using engineering and science modules to demonstrate math and science concepts, and indicate to K-12 students how math and science are applied to real-world problem-solving.
2. MindSET has worked with Colleges of Education in the development of math and science professional development of kinesthetic-delivery modules for K-12 math and science teachers. These modules are offered free of charge to teachers who are encouraged to utilize this instructional mode, along with other delivery styles typically used in the classroom, in an effort to expand the size of the student population impacte.
3. MindSET recognizes that parents play a critical role in the student learning process. Accordingly, parent-development workshops have been prepared, and will be delivered to parents of our MindSET students, to enable them to be better equipped to contribute to their children’s success in the classroom.
4. Metrics – assessing and evaluating the impact of programmatic activities on student participants, their schools, and the school district.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
The MindSET program is a highly-structured collaborative program which seeks to bring together K-12 math and science teachers, college students, parents, practicing engineers, and corporations to address this very challenging issue. Our organization is one of the largest engineering Honor Societies in the world, and has established a significant history of service.
The program uses hands-on, kinesthetic learning, modules to allow K-12 students to learn math and science concepts through application in fun engineering related activities.
The MindSET program has a unique goal to address all facets in STEM learning, including the K-12 students, their parents, and their teachers. MindSET has teacher trainers that will host in-service modules to help expand K-12 instructors teaching methods.
These aspects of the MindSET program make it unique. Also, because Tau Beta Pi has the top collegiate engineering students, it is able to offer an unmatched opportunity for K-12 students to interact and learn from young, successful role models.
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
The MindSET program works closely with local school districts and schools to make the program equally available to all interested parties.
Once a partner has been established, our organizers research the standardized test results to target a distribution of students representative of the Bell Curve. This allows MindSET to increase the preparedness of students to be successful in higher-level math and science courses.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
In 2007, at the University of Florida's College of Engineering Dr. Jonathan Earle developed a free math and engineering outreach program that could be run through the combined efforts of Tau Beta Pi the engineering honor society students and the University's College of Engineering.
This program was named Engineering GatorTRAX and was formed under a grant from the GE Foundation through its K-16 Math Excellence Initiative. GatorTRAX is designed to complement education received in Alachua County public schools.
In 2008, Tau Beta Pi adopted the math and science initiative on a national level, and it became the MindSET program, in an effort to assist the nation in the area of preparedness for this technological age. The Association was motivated by Dr. Earle and GatorTRAX to provide leadership geared toward strengthening the math and science skills of our nation's K-12 students.
The response from Tau Beta Pi chapters has been positive as chapters enjoy the chance to give back to their communities. A survey was conducted last year, to confirm the interest and commitment level in the MindSET program. By 2012, the Association is on pace to have more than 20 chapters actively hosting MindSET activity sessions, from California to New York, in Michigan, in Colorado, in Tennessee, and more.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
A pilot teacher training session for 83 elementary, middle, and high-school teachers was conducted in Rapid City, South Dakota, with the support of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in 2008.
Earlier this year a teacher training session for more than 20 teachers at Alachua County was hosted by Tau Beta Pi and University of Florida engineering students.
In 2010, roughly 350 K-12 students participated in MindSET activity sessions across the country. Feedback is collected at each session from parents and teachers to measure the success of the module and to address any weaknesses.
Each year, at Tau Beta Pi's national convention leaders of the MindSET program meet with the chapter-student leadership to brainstorm and address any issues that were problematic during the previous year.
To measure the effectiveness of the MindSET program, we will examine the records of students who complete Algebra 1 by 8th grade and calculus by 12th grade. Standardized tests from partnering schools and school districts will also be compared with the baseline to look for higher average scores.
The long-term success of MindSET will be measured by the impact of efforts to support STEM intervention programs and give more K-12 students the tools needed to pursue engineering and math disciplines in college.
How many people have been impacted by your project?
101-1,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
1,001-10,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
As the MindSET program continues to grow, the next three years are critical to the success of the program.
With time the two-prong approach for supporting STEM preparation in the U.S. through hands-on modules for K-12 students and teacher development training sessions for teachers will be solidified across the country. This will allow for data collection and feedback to evaluate the future direction of MindSET.
The MindSET module pool will continue to grow with useful guidance on how to engage K-12 students. These modules will be a great resource to any STEM intervention program. Partnerships and marketing opportunities will be explored to maximize the potential scope.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
There are several challenges involved in developing a STEM intervention program.
Financial support is a key issue toward the sustainability of MindSET. The program has been actively addressing this issue by talking to Tau Beta Pi donors and applying (and receiving) grants.
Another important issue is the ever-changing landscape of school districts across the country. We have encountered certain barriers from school districts with unsettled curriculum and teacher compensation guidelines. We have found it essential to work closely with school district superintendents and school principals to determine the best path for MindSET implementation.
Lastly, Tau Beta Pi has limited resources, with a paid staff of only 11. We rely on volunteers to help us spread the word about the MindSET program. An important step in the expansion of MindSET will be the development of media (such as instructional and information videos). To date, we have published a MindSET brochure, developed a separate MindSET website, and begun filling MindSET management committees. Assistance will be needed in the development of a more aggressive communications and media strategy for the MindSET program.
Tell us about your partnerships
The most important partnership of the MindSET program is the student members and alumni (volunteer) members of Tau Beta Pi. With an Association focus on "fostering a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges," our chapters are interested in service to their campus and their community.
Taking time out of their busy education and social schedule to host the MindSET activity sessions. These student engineers are the best in the country. Their ability to interact and mentor young students is a key component of the MindSET program.
In 2009, the Bechtel Foundation awarded Tau Beta Pi and the MindSET program a grant to help finance the initial push of this program on a national level. The funds were awarded in two installments, 2010 and 2011.
Teach for America and Tau Beta Pi have a successful working relationship. Teach for America has aided the MindSET program by including information in a collegiate flier distributed at U.S. colleges and universities.
Tau Beta Pi in turn educates our members on the benefits of Teach for America. Several of our members have had positive experiences working for TFA.
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$10,001‐50,000
Explain your selections
Currently, the MindSET program has been generously supported by donors of Tau Beta Pi and the Bechtel Foundation (through a grant).
Tau Beta Pi will continue to seek funding support for MindSET to help expand the program.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
The MindSET program will continue to grow nationwide with activity sessions being hosted at as many of the 237 collegiate chapters of Tau Beta Pi as possible.
Currently, the teacher training modules are being offered to local school districts as a way to initiate contact for our collegiate chapters. The teacher modules have been very successful and teachers appreciate these sessions when looking to complete required in-service hours.
Partnerships and Accountability
Please tell us more about how your partnership was formed and how it functions. What specific role does each partner play? What unique resources does each partner bring to the initiative?
Currently, the main partnership is between the MindSET program and Tau Beta Pi's 237 national collegiate chapters. In addition, Tau Beta Pi has begun forming a network of alumni interested in supporting the program as unpaid volunteers.
A secondary partnership exists between Tau Beta Pi and Teach for America (TFA). TFA supports Tau Beta Pi each year at our national convention and recruiting fair. TFA has had great success with Tau Beta Pi members who join to become teachers.
TFA has been educated about the MindSET program and has offered to support its expansion in locations where TFA has a presence. In addition, TFA has included Tau Beta Pi and the MindSET program on a national flier distributed on visits to college campuses.
Another important partnership has been developed between Tau Beta Pi, MindSET, and the University of Florida's College of Education. Dr. Thomasenia Adams has been integral in the development of the teacher training modules and the planning of the teacher training sessions.
The most important partnership is that of MindSET and local schools and school districts. At times it has been difficult to access the proper channels to form the partnerships in an effective and timely fashion. School districts have different curricula and rules that they must follow. As MindSET expands, we will continue to develop a successfully strategy capable of demonstrating the benefits of the MindSET program.
How are you building in accountability for students' successful STEM learning outcomes? Please provide a summary and examples.
The relationship between the MindSET project host and their local school district is essential in building accountability for successful STEM learning outcomes.
The MindSET program works with the teachers and the school district to offer modules that coincide with the curricula for the corresponding grade level. This allows for easier monitoring of students' success related to the math and science within the hands-on activity sessions.
Teachers are also an important player in the outcomes as they prepare students for state standardized tests. Most schools identify test results by teacher/class to measure learning outcomes. By working closely with teachers and their students, MindSET can monitor goals related to preparedness and completion of higher-level math and science courses.
Two examples: First, our Tau Beta Pi chapter at the University of Michigan is working with four local elementary schools. Before they began hosting sessions they acquired the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) test scores for the fourth and fifth grade students as a baseline for progress assessment. In the coming year, they can compare the MEAP scores of the students they have been working with. Feedback will also be collected from the teachers and parents of the K-12 students involved.
Secondly, the Tau Beta Pi chapter at Binghamton University (NY) worked to host sessions for all the classes of a 6th grade technology teacher at a nearby middle school. This way the activities were approved and reinforced the STEM curriculum at the school. Feedback was collected on the successful retention of math and science concepts taught during the MindSET sessions.
Needs
Investment, Marketing/Media.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add needs that may not be listed.
Tau Beta Pi initiates on about 8,000 students a year. When students join they must be of junior/senior standing, or halfway through a graduate degree.These scholastic requirements ensure that members are the top young engineers in the country, however the result is a high yearly turnover.We have a MindSET program a brochure. As MindSET expands there is a need for more media that chapters can use when meeting with local schools and school districts.The MindSET program is offered at no cost to K-12 students/schools. This means our chapters must secure sponsorship and funding to purchase materials and publicize sessions. Currently, Tau Beta Pi can offer limited funds to chapters each semester. Program expansion would be made easier if each chapter had an allotted MindSET budget each semester.
Offers
Collaboration/Networking, Innovation/Ideas, Mentorship.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add offers that may not be listed.
The MindSET program offers a chance to expose K-12 students, parents, and teachers to the application and demonstration of math and science concepts in engineering design.
Chapters are encouraged to host one session per month during the semester, as funds allow. This offers a prolonged exposure of mentorship between our college students and K-12 students.
We encourage our experienced chapters to develop their own modules for review. Several chapters have partnered with other campus organizations (ASCE,SAE,etc.) to develop new innovative modules.
Partnering schools and school districts make a connection with Tau Beta Pi that can positively influence their image and perception. Parents also enjoy the information and association with our national honor society.
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 | 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane said: Cameo, Thanks for the note. I will take a look at the blog. The volunteers in our MindSET program are mainly junior and senior ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 98 weeks ago Cameo Brown said: This is an awesome project that appears to have the makings of a sustainable endeavor! Best of luck in the competition! Can you ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 98 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 100 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 102 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
| 102 weeks ago Dylan Lane updated this Competition Entry. |
