School Press Release Draft

[SCHOOL/DISTRICT] Students Tackle Real-World Problems through STEM Week Challenge

Through Mass STEM Hub initiative, Students Receive Expert Feedback from Industry Experts on their Work

 [CITY/TOWN, Mass.} - [SCHOOL/DISTRICT] is participating in the STEM Week Challenge, an applied learning experience from Mass STEM Hub, a program of the One8 Foundation, that presents K-12 students with real-world problems informed by industry and tied to relevant and timely issues in their communities. [FILL IN WITH RELEVANT GRADE BAND INFORMATION: High school students are developing original apps to help slow the spread of COVID-19 through a project-based curriculum from PBLWorks and industry insights from Partners In Health and IBM. -AND/OR- Middle school students are using the engineering design process to develop an adaptive device for individuals with paralysis in partnership using insights from Dell Technologies and Bionic Project, Inc. and applied learning curriculum from Project Lead The Way and Innovative Learning Partners. - AND/OR - Elementary school students are designing and developing games that teach math concepts while having fun, using insights from the New England Aquarium and conceptual math program ST Math.]

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Across the state, more than 300 educators from over 200 schools, representing over 35,000 students, are signed up for Mass STEM Hub’s STEM Week Challenge.

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The STEM Week Challenge was created to align with the state’s overall STEM Week effort. It was designed by the team at Mass STEM Hub, a program of the One8 Foundation, in conjunction with high-quality curriculum partners and applied learning experts at Innovative Learning Partners, PBLWorks, Project Lead The Way, and ST Math, as well as industry partners at Partners In Health, Dell Technologies, New England Aquarium, IBM, Bionic Project, Inc.

Participating students and educators can log in to the “Ask-An-Expert Forum” - a secure website where they can ask questions of professionals and get real-time feedback that allows them to deepen their learning.

Student projects can be submitted for review by industry experts; all student projects submitted will receive personalized feedback from industry professionals. Winning teams will be eligible to participate in exciting industry experiences. In total, more than 200 professionals across Massachusetts are signed up to volunteer their time to review student projects and give students real-world feedback.

“This year more than ever, it’s so important to provide students with engaging, meaningful experiences that connect what they are doing in the classroom – whether it’s an in-person or remote classroom – to real-world problems and what professionals are doing every day,” ” said Katherine Skrivan, Director of Mass STEM Hub. “We’re so thankful to have a community of educators across Massachusetts who are dedicated to their students’ success and are going above and beyond to provide an applied learning experience for students that will open students’ eyes to the possibilities for their futures and prepare them for a rapidly changing world.”

 To learn more about the STEM Week Challenge, visit STEMWeekChallenge.org or mass-stemhub.org.

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