What is STEM? - DuPage County Regional Office of Education

Inside this issue:
• What is STEM?
• STEM Community Advisory Team
• STEM Tips
• STEM News and Links
• Upcoming Events
October 2012
STEM
News You Can Use . . .
Team Members
Regional Office of Education
Dr. Darlene Ruscitti
Regional Superintendent
Dr. Claudia Geocaris
STEM Coordinator
Ms. Nancy Nega and Dr. Mary Biniewicz
STEM Consultants
Other Organizations and Entities
Marge Bardeen
Program Manager, Education Office, Fermi National
Laboratory
Steve Clark
Director, Technology Center of DuPage
Deon Ettinger
Chair, DuPage Youth Council
Anna Gay
Nontraditional and Career/Technical Education Coordinator,
Office of High School Partnerships, College
of DuPage
Sharon Gitles Uslan
Senior Manager, Chevron Energy Solutions
John Lesica
General Manager, Science Ed., Thermo Fisher
Scientific
Patty Luster
Ag in the Classroom Coordinator, DuPage County
Farm Group
MaryBeth Marshall
Executive Director, DuPage Workforce Board
Danice McGrath
Office of High School Partnerships, College of
DuPage
Drew McGuire
Technology Teacher, Bryan Middle School
Sheryl Palicki
Career Counselor, Technology Center of DuPage
Ann Reed
Vice President, EDUCATE, iBIO Insitute
Hannah Rennard
Manager of School Programs, Morton Arboretum
Nick Scipione
Science Department Chair, Glenbard East High
School
Andrew Skipor
Director of Education, Argonne National Laboratory
Eleanor Taylor
Manager, Regional Outreach, Argonne National
Laboratory
What is STEM? And, why is it important?
STEM is a simple acronym for a
rather complicated concept. Think
science, technology, engineering
and mathematics. Not so fast.
STEM represents specific content
as well as a mindset or approach
to learning. Successful STEM programs
engage students in problem
solving activities as they learn to
build, test and refine theories and
models; collect and analyze data;
construct and critique arguments
and positions; and develop effective
ways to process and communicate
through reading, writing and
speaking.
And, why is this important? Graduates
with strong STEM backgrounds
more successfully compete in the
job market and earn higher average
salaries overall. STEM careers and
jobs are among the quickest growing.
Employment rates in STEM fields are
higher than other areas. In addition,
STEM programs help build students’
capacities to critically think and analyze,
skills transferrable to most other
areas. A winning combination.
STEM Community Advisory Team
In order to support and advance
STEM programs in the DuPage
County area, the DuPage Regional
Office of Education created last
year the STEM Community Advisory
Team. The 20-member team is
comprised of representatives from
the Regional Office of Education;
area schools (middle, secondary,
career and technical, and community
college institutions); and businesses,
organizations and research
facilities.
This newsletter is published with the
support of the DuPage County Regional
Office of Education, Dr. Darlene Ruscitti,
Regional Superintendent, 421 N. County
Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
The Team is committed to use local,
state and federal resources to share information
about STEM, to identify gaps
in area STEM programs, and to recommend
possible solutions.
The STEM News You Can Use newsletter,
a recommendation from the
Team, will be published at least three
times each year and will be one of
many vehicles to communicate information
about STEM programs, careers
and events.

Upcoming Events
October 18
Bringing STEM into the Classroom through
Creative Use of Technology
Time: 8:30 a.m.– 3:00 p.m.
(continental breakfast/lunch included)
Location: Lombard CPL. Seats are limited!
Cost: None
Registration:
https://www.dupage.k12.il.us/register/course.
php?recid=5264
October 20
Northern Illinois University STEMfest
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: NIU Convocation Center
For more information visit the website: http://
www.stemfest.niu.edu/stemfest/
STEM Tip
STEM education is most successful when
students develop personal connections
with other students, their teachers, and
their ideas. Provide ample opportunities
for students to reflect on their thinking,
write about their thinking and to share
their work with others. In addition to building
stronger relationships and understanding
among students and teachers, these
activities engage students in critical writing
and thinking exercises, which help
strengthen processing and communication
skills.
News and Links
Looking to expand your knowledge about STEM
or interested in ideas about how to better integrate
STEM in your classroom plans? You might
find these links of interest. . .
Illinois Innovations Index
Information related to STEM degrees and employment
opportunities.
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=564e8e95
8fed7660c31119f2d&id=09020d5737&e=0a61cd
5b13
Illinois Pathways
Illinois promotes local programs that empower
students to explore their academic and career
interests through statewide, public-private partnerships
known as Learning Exchanges to better
coordinate investments, resources and planning.
http://www.illinoisworknet.com/vos_portal/Stem/
en/Home/
Great Science for Girls
Learn more about strategies that can be easily
implemented to increase girls’ interest in STEM.
http://www.greatscienceforgirls.org/
An Astronaut’s Perspective
Sally Ride offers her views on increasing girls’
interest in STEM careers.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1985/10/23/06270030.h05.html?tkn=NZYFX
SYt1e5QLFCtbeHmrucc9EeRdan4qGgW&intc=
es
Suggestions and feedback can be sent to Mary Biniewicz
at mbiniewicz@dupage.k.12.il.us; Claudia Geocaris at
cgeocaris@dupage.k12.il.us; or Nancy Nega at nnega@
dupage.k12.il.us.
Next Issue - December 2012