Community colleges are fast becoming a critical segment impacting on the
K-12 arena. An estimated 20 percent of those who go on to become K-12
teachers are educated at community colleges, with over 40 percent of all
teachers completing some or all of their science and mathematics coursework
at two-year colleges.Sponsored by the
State of New Jersey
Department of the Treasury, the
Center for Innovation
in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at
Stevens Institute of
Technology and the following six New Jersey County Colleges are
collaborating on two synergistic and
complementary initiatives, both aimed at improving the pool and capabilities
of New Jersey’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) workforce:
Burlington County College,
Camden County
College, Essex
County College,
Middlesex County College,
Hudson County Community
College, and
Mercer County Community College.
Initiative #1 is a faculty training program that focuses on improving
teaching and learning in P-12 science, mathematics, and technology in
collaboration with the above mentioned six New Jersey County Colleges.
This effort aims to infuse dynamic, research-based teaching methods—those
that utilize Internet-based real world data—into the preservice education of
New Jersey’s teachers in order to increase student interest and achievement
in science and mathematics in P-12. It leverages resources developed through
previous federal and State of New Jersey programs to train faculty and
students to embrace and replicate these instructional approaches and student
outcomes.
Initiative #2 will create and disseminate educational materials and
methodologies to foster student creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship
related to new technology development. This initiative is based in the
distinctive educational environment at
Stevens Institute of Technology
as Technogenesis®, in which students and faculty are empowered through
research and education to create, develop and commercialize new technologies
and processes that can be applied to a need-driven marketplace.
Both initiatives, therefore, build capacity within our state’s P-20
educational system to improve teaching and learning in science, mathematics,
engineering, and technology; catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship in
order to build an infrastructure to create, design, and commercialize new
technologies; and thereby enhance quality of life and strengthen the economy
of New Jersey.
