The Connecticut Department of Higher Education has awarded a $92,000 Teacher Quality Partnership grant to The Children's Museum, in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT) and the University of Hartford. This grant will fund a year-long training and mentoring program for thirty elementary school teachers from Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford and West Hartford to help improve science teaching and learning, and generate future interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers.
The "Glimpse of the Past, Path to the Future" program will focus on improving content knowledge in the fundamentals of three Framework-aligned physical science areas: mechanics (force and motion), optics (light), and astronomy. Teachers will engage in hands-on, minds-on activities to take back to their classrooms and gain experience applying the latest best practices, especially in the nature and methods of scientific inquiry, differentiation, instructional technology, and assessment. Participants will also learn more about the 21st century STEM workforce and how the skills required are changing approaches to science education.
"Elementary school teachers have too few opportunities to update their knowledge of science," said Kevin Sullivan, President and CEO of The Children’s Museum. "None of this is acceptable at a time at a time when disparities in science and achievement and attainment are getting worse. We are so grateful for this opportunity from the Department of Higher Education to educate teachers and, in turn, show children the importance of learning science. We are especially fortunate to have the expertise of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and academic support from the University of Hartford.
The Connecticut Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program is administered by the Department of Higher Education and authorized by Title II of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
About The Children's Museum
The Children's Museum offers over 100 live animals, hands-on science exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for younger children and families. With over 210,000 visitors annually, it is one of Connecticut’s top museum attractions. The Children's Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.
About CCAT
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation that provides services and resources to support innovation, working in partnership with industry, government, and academia to help the nation compete in a global market. CCAT Education develops and supports K-12 STEM programs that engage students and enhance scientific and technological literacy, while promoting training of the emergent workforce needed for the 21st-century economy. Visit us at www.ccat.us
Contacts:
Kevin Sullivan
President and CEO, The Children's Museum
ksullivan@TheChildrensMuseumCT.org, 860.231.2824
Elinor Hargreaves
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.
ehargreaves@ccat.us, 860.291.8832
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