Newswise — The California State University has received a grant from Chevron to expand its pioneering initiatives that integrate engineering design into K-12 teacher preparation. Since 2014, Chevron has provided funding totaling more than $1.75 million. This new grant will fund a project that will continue CSU leadership in preparing K-12 teachers to be effective in -and capable of - becoming school site leaders in the Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS). The CSU project will contribute to California's implementation of the innovative standards developed to improve science education for all students.
"This support from Chevron will help CSU prepare K-12 teachers who will make the Next Generation Science Standards central in their classrooms—inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers," said CSU Assistant Vice Chancellor Marquita Grenot-Scheyer.
California faces a looming shortfall of new mathematics and science teachers. The CSU - the state's largest producer of teachers - prepares nearly half of California's new teachers in these fields and is working with partners to increase preparation of new teachers.
"Chevron is proud to partner with CSU to ensure teachers have the resources and training they need to provide engaging science and engineering education to all grade levels." said Blair Blackwell, manager, education and corporate programs at Chevron.
The new project - CSU Pathways to New Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Teacher Excellence: Addressing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Engineering Design Process - includes four components that together make a major contribution to the state initiative.
One component, the STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) program, prepares future teacher leaders. It places outstanding beginning science and math teachers in California's foremost federal research laboratories and in frontiers of science and engineering.
A second component prepares teachers for the "Makerspace" movement, which equips them to support students as they invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials and incorporate engineering design practices as they create.
The third component makes the Next Generation Science Standards a central feature of Better Together: the California Teacher Summit. This free summer day celebrating teachers will next be held on July 28, 2017. Chevron's support enables the NGSS to be a featured component across the state.
The fourth component is a collaboration between Chevron and CSU using sports to inspire students to pursue STEM. It enables future CSU math and science teachers to serve as instructors and develop informal science skills at Chevron's, interactive STEM Zone. CSU instructors staff the STEM Zone and showcase real world applications of STEM, such as basic principles of gravity and aerodynamics, and create awareness of how STEM is connected to everyday lives.
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About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 50,800 faculty and staff and 479,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California Community Colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 110,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.3 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.
About Chevron
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company's operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
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