Berkshire STEM Pipeline 
Best Practices Database 
Got Math? 
Network Partners 
Participants & Affiliates 
Pipeline Fund 
Region I H.S. Science Fair 
Region I Middle S. Science Fair 
Resource Center 
Robotics Camp 
STARLAB 
Student Resources 
Teacher Resources 
UHRVE 
"I really wanted to attend an institution that was somewhat of a community -- something small -- and to connect with professors and with the administration and have them know my name. And, because of MCLA's internship program, I was able to get my foot in the door at a very prominent company which jump-started my career."

Christina Barrett '03
Director of Marketing & Communications, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce

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Berkshire STEM Pipeline
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math.

The Massachusetts Pipeline Fund was established by the Acts of 2003 Economic Stimulus Trust Fund and is directed by the Board of Higher Education. The first stage of funding created seven regional networks. The goal of these Network partners is to build a pipeline between higher education, PreK-16, businesses, and non-profit agencies for the improvement of science, technology, engineering and math education, and is aligned with the Berkshire Compact for higher education.

A second three-year grant has been awarded March 2008 from the Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Pipeline Fund to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. TheSTEM Pipeline Fund is a workforce development initiative designed to increase student interest and teacher preparation in STEM subjects.
Spring 2008 Newsletter

 

biotech workshop
 

Funded Projects Berkshire Regional PreK-16 Network 2007-2009

  • Got Math? for elementary and middle school students and teachers to understand the application of math to real life and the workplace.
  • STEM Fellows Project This is a year-long astronomy fellowship for teachers using the Starlab inflatable Planetarium. This frameworks-based experiences provides the fellows with science and math content (based on the State Science and Technology/Engineering Frameworks) through inquiry and project-based instruction.
  • Additional support of the STEM Resource Center, which began with the 2004-2005 grant as a regional resource for supplies and resources for teachers.
  • Support for the Massachusetts Region I High School Science fair and Region I Middle School Science fair.
  • Regional Career Fair run by the Berkshire Tech Prep Consortium and hosted by Berkshire Community College to be held at BCC Friday Nov. 16, 2007.
  • STEM Science Seminars offered over a five week time period Fall 2007-2009.
  • STEM Business and Industry Tours fall 2008 to 2010 run by the Berkshire Tech Prep Consortium and hosted by Berkshire Community College
  • Family STEM Programs hosted by MCLA and BCC summer 2008 to 2010.
The goals of the Pipeline Fund:
  • to increase the number of Massachusetts students who participate in programs that support careers in fields related to mathematics, science technology, and engineering;
  • to increase the number of qualified science, technology engineering and math teachers in Berkshire
  • to improve the science, technology, engineering and mathematic educational offerings available in public an private schools.
Examples of past Berkshire STEM projects and participation:

In June MCLA’s Adrienne Wootters, Emily Maher, Michelle Potash and Lisa Provencher of the Berkshire STEM Pipeline participated in the Girls Incorporated of the Berkshires Expanding Your Horizons Conference held at Berkshire Community College. The conference provides hands-on workshops in math and science and non-traditional careers for over 200 girls each year. For more info, contact Christa Collier 413-442-5174, ext. 16

pea dna

Middle School Robotics Camp: Ages 9-14. Working with the Legos Mindstorms Robotics System, campers learn all the skills they need to construct new robotics kits. Additional science projects, field trips, swimming, games and movies provide campers with a well-rounded learning and recreational experience.

battle bots

Upper Housatonic River Valley Course : Intended for K-12 teachers of history, social studies, English, science, business and industrial technology. Introduces and integrates various aspects of the heritage of the Upper Housatonic River Valley – the social, cultural, economic and industrial history of the valley, the ecology of the river throughout that history. Teachers design projects that will infuse this information into their classrooms while meeting the appropriate standards. Field trips to local cultural, environmental, and business sites and presentations by guest lecturers will be a major portion of the course.

 

rowing down housatonic river

The Berkshire County STEM Best Practices Database is an ongoing on-line project that is currently connecting 700+ local STEM teachers K-16 with 28 local businesses, organizations and educators that offers innovative STEM activities, models and curriculum to students and parents. Educational Funding sources, announcements, teacher workshops, guest speakers, teacher resource page and STEM related events as well as the Resource Center materials (see below) are all posted on the website.
If you have a STEM related activity you would like to add to the Best Practiced database contact our Berkshire STEM Coordinator Lisa Provencher at or 413-662-5525.

Past meetings:

STEM Summit I: June 2, 2004, 60 participants representing 14 Berkshire County institutions gathered at MCLA to put together a strategy that would increase STEM activities, student awareness and participation in STEM careers and teaching opportunities.

STEM Summit II: March 23, 2005, 42 participants representing 18 Berkshire County institutions gathered at MCLA for an update on the STEM project and to plan future goals.

STEM Summit III: October 21, 2005, 24 participants representing 18 Berkshire County institutions listened to STEM based presentations, toured the MCLA physics department, explored the STEM Resource Center equipment and hear first hand the “Dos and Don’ts” of running a high school science fair.

STEM Summit IV: May 5, 2006, 59 participants, representing 16 Berkshire County Institutions shared STEM projects and ideas, heard about the Boston Museum of Science Engineering is Elementary, the Berkshire Museum's On-line version of Living Landscapes, BOSE In Harmony with Education Program and toured the inflatable StarLab brought by Sky Connections.

 

 
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