MentorMe® Saturday Morning Breakfast Club
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are an important part of education in a competitive global marketplace. The ultimate goal of STEM education is to encourage students to take an interest in STEM subjects at an early age.
MentorMe® STEM+
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
What is STEM?
In 2009, the United States educational system received some sobering news. The Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked 15-year-old U.S. high-school students 18th in mathematics and 13th in science. These results were based on data from 34 participating nations. Some of the nations with higher student scores included much smaller and far less wealthy nations like Estonia, Slovenia and Finland. It was apparent that the U.S. educational system needed significant improvement in these areas if the students who would be the workforce of tomorrow were to have a competitive edge in a globalized, high-tech marketplace. National and state educational policymakers renewed efforts begun in 2006 to improve the overall mathematics, science and technology literacy of U.S. students. These efforts became known as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, initiative.
Although many of the nation's public schools had already begun a greater focus on mathematics and science as part of their core curricula, new academies as well as existing educational institutions took the focus one step further. Applying for, and receiving, government and private business grants set up for STEM education initiatives, these schools aggressively promoted the concept with the express goal of graduating students competent in a variety of STEM subjects.
Schools pursuing these goals explored a variety of approaches such as smaller class sizes of 10 to 12 students with a one-to-one student/computer ratio, inquiry-based teaching methodologies and an active partnership with technology businesses that provide real-world applications for STEM subjects. Other schools made electronic textbooks, Skype and video-conferencing an integral part of the educational experience.
How is MentorMe® STEM+ Involved?
MentorMe® STEM+ is an academic program sponsored by the MentorMe® Saturday Morning Breakfast Club. It is primarily focused on helping elementary, middle and high school students to focus on improving academia across diverse groups. The methods MentorMe® STEM+ employs helps students understand by using all 5-senses: hear, touch, smell, taste, see, as well as, embraces differences in learning abilities ranging from at-risk, remedial to gifted & talented.
MentorMe® STEM+ also recognizes that gender bias can hamper a young girl's learning if not intervened early. Therefore, MentorMe® STEM+ utilizes tools developed in the White House Council on Women and Girls to increase the participation of women and girls mentorship within STEM fields.
Who are MentorMe® STEM+ Partners?
MentorMe® STEM+ has created fresh vibrant partnerships with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nation's leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. Through world-class K-12 curriculum, high-quality teacher professional development, and outstanding partnerships, PLTW is helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in the global economy.
We are also partnered with Shades of Blue, an organization conceived and created by a group of airline pilots, educators, and business people who have an interest in aviation and aerospace and who wish to help introduce students to the career opportunities available in the field of flight.
We continually seek partners having passion to interact the mysteries of the Universe - at a child's level.