Educators Tapping STEM Professionals as Classroom Partners

People who’ve reached a high point in their careers usually don’t coast. Their success is directly connected to an active imagination, enthusiasm about their work, and a continuing desire to learn.  They keep moving, growing, thriving. A special subset of that group is those who have a desire to teach – not full time, but occasionally alongside educators in their classrooms, turning young people on to the possibilities of STEM careers.

The Patuxent Partnership is sponsoring a training Nov. 2 for local professionals who are interested in interacting with high school students several times a year in their STEM classrooms, bringing the professional perspective to the students’ academic studies. The beauty of this is that it rounds out the knowledge the teacher delivers as a part of the curriculum through an educator-expert collaboration.

There are two ways professionals from the science, technology, engineering, and math communities in Southern Maryland can pitch in alongside our St. Mary’s County public school educators to bring a complete learning experience to student:

• Be a Maryland Scholars Speaker who brings eighth- and ninth-grade students the message that achievement in school will pay off in college, the workplace, and in life.
• Be a STEM Specialist in the Classroom who engages high school students in hands-on learning experiences that demonstrate the real-world application of science, technology, engineering, and math content and skills.

What’s involved?  Just the three-hour training session Nov. 2 at The Patuxent Partnership at 22335 Exploration Drive, Lexington Park, MD, from 9 am to noon, held in conjunction with the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education; and a commitment to participate with a SMCPS teacher who requests a professional to engage periodically with her students. Click here to learn more and to sign up. (If the Nov. 2 training date doesn’t work for you, other times are available at www.thestemnet.com.)

The presence of professionals in the classroom helps students understand the real-world applications of the STEM courses they take – as when a robotics engineer, animator, or fighter pilot comes through the door to partner with their teacher on a portion of the curriculum. Now, all the cramming students have done for tests, all the formulas they’ve tried to solve, come to life through interacting with world-class designers, builders, and problem-solvers. Professionals can pull back the curtain and show students how technology is applied, tested, and re-shaped in the working world. The results of these collaborations are more engagement by students and less resistance to the notion that math can be fun.

The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, provides resources to high schools aimed at accelerating teacher and student growth in STEM. In St. Mary’s, Chopticon High School is a designated STEM innovation school.

The Patuxent Partnership is eager to build the bridge between the workplace and the classroom in ways that will benefit teachers, students, and the business community. Connecting our outstanding professional community to our educators offers limitless opportunities. To be part of this exciting venture, sign up for the Nov. 2 training.

About The Patuxent Partnership

The Patuxent Partnership works with government, industry, and academia on initiatives in science and technology, hosts programs of interest to NAVAIR and the broader DoD community, and supports workforce development including education initiatives and professional development. Call 301-866-1739.

To learn more about The Patuxent Partnership and its programs, visit its Leader Page.