The Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science S.T.E.M. + C Professional Learning Model: Expansion and Enhancement

Abstract

Professional Development in the field of education has undergone several shifts in focus. Currently, teacher content knowledge and the ability to disseminate this knowledge is the focus in professional learning communities. The importance of creating a thriving STEM workforce in the United States has been promoted for the last decade. Studies have shown that capturing students' interest must occur before they enter high school, ideally in the middle school years (Blotnicky, Franz-Odendaal, French, & Phillip, 2018). Teachers are the conduits for encouraging students to explore STEM-related career options. Student engagement is piqued when there is a strong real-world connection to the content being presented. Students find relevance through actual experience with the concepts and skills incorporated in projects that are community-based. The Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science STEM + C Project is the marriage of these two components. The professional development of the New York City middle school teachers involved in the CCERS STEM +C Project furnishes these educators with the tools to stimulate students' interest by tackling a problem in their local community using STEM-related content and computational thinking. The hope is that authenticity of the learning experience will entice all students, especially those under-represented populations in the STEM workforce, to consider this as a viable career pathway. The analysis of this project is intended to highlight the significant inroads made and the value of self-reflection and re-design in strengthening the work as it continues.