Inspiration, NYSSBA style |
On Board Online • October 15, 2012
Every once in a while we get to experience something really special as a school board member – something that reminds us of why we ran for school board in the first place. We all beam with pride, for example, during graduation ceremonies, school concerts, and athletic events when we see our students demonstrate their academic, musical or athletic proficiencies.
I recently had such an experience when I participated in the announcement of the inaugural “Be the Change for Kids” Innovation Award winners, which was held at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE). Each of the winning districts receives $5,000, funded by CNSE.
You may recall that NYSSBA started the “Be the Change for Kids” campaign in the aftermath of the recent national economic decline, as a way to help school leaders make the most of their limited resources. “Be the Change for Kids” has evolved into an organizational theme for NYSSBA. It captures the near-universal desire among school board members to find new and better ways of delivering public education and meet unique challenges of the 21st Century.
We made a big step forward when our board teamed up with CNSE to create the new Be the Change for Kids Innovation Awards, which recognize cost-effective programs that help students gain important 21st century learning and career skills, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math-related (STEM) areas.
The three school districts that earned top honors this year – Berne-Knox-Westerlo, New Lebanon and Rondout Valley – all have innovative STEM-related programs. But as we point out in this issue of On Board, none of them have deep pockets to fund these programs. In fact, after initial start up costs, each of these programs runs on an operating budget of $1,000 or less per year.
As part of the awards ceremony, students from the winning districts toured the Albany NanoTech complex and clean rooms. For me, the tour was a clear reminder of just how rapidly the skills needed to compete in the workforce are changing. Here is a facility engaged in cutting-edge research, bringing in people from around the world to make computer chips on a scale so tiny it’s hard to imagine. The scientists, technicians, and engineers who work there need to have a firm grounding in physics and mathematics. So will today’s students who will work in technical fields that have yet to be invented.
We often hear people talk about how schools need to prepare students for the 21st century workforce. But what exactly does that mean? The winning districts – indeed, all of the districts that entered the competition – have good answers to that question. They all found ways to capture students’ imaginations and prepare them for a changing world. Whether it’s using volunteers trained in science to spark second graders’ interest in math and science, taking high school students into the theory and practice of nanotechnology, or offering a curriculum that requires students to perform college level work in science, innovation is alive and well in New York schools.
I’m grateful to the scientists at CNSE that pored over the applications, which described school programs that require critical thinking, and hone students’ ability to understand important concepts in math and science, and communicate with others. Some even instill a sense of civic responsibility.
It’s inspiring to see so many school districts doing the right thing. By requiring students to solve challenging problems and/or work collaboratively, many of these programs stimulate a desire to learn and create. In so doing, they put students on a pathway toward success, regardless of their future field of endeavor. One hopes, though, that some may become engineers who will develop the next generation of computer technology, scientists who will build medical devices that improve our quality of life, and who knows what else.
You’ll get your chance to learn more about these fantastic programs when we honor them at NYSSBA’s Annual Convention in Rochester. I encourage you to attend the awards luncheon, not just to acknowledge the winning districts, but to learn about the creative approaches to STEM in all of the districts that submitted applications. The awards luncheon provides an opportunity to share ideas about cost-effective and innovative education programs that could be replicated in your district. You will leave the luncheon with not only a full belly but a head full of ideas.
So, congratulations to the winning school districts. And to all of the school board members, administrators and teachers who support innovation. You are making a difference, and setting the stage for your student’s future success.
Most importantly, keep those innovations coming, so we can share them with all school districts!