Ruth Kermish-Allen, executive director of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA), reflects on the impact the National Science Foundation (NSF) has had on STEM education and at MMSA.
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the National Science Foundation (NSF), I reflect with deep gratitude that without the NSF, the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance would not exist—and neither would the decades of impact we’ve had in empowering thousands of educators, inspiring youth, and advancing STEM learning nationwide.
MMSA was founded with a transformative $10 million NSF investment in 1992. Since then, NSF has been a cornerstone of our growth and impact, as MMSA has been awarded 32 NSF grants totaling more than $46 million over the past 33 years.
All of those dollars have been invested in supporting the professional development of educators and inspiring youth—the majority of whom live and work right here in Maine. This funding has enabled MMSA to design, launch, and scale innovative STEM education initiatives that empower thousands of educators and engage young learners, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
MMSA is driven by the belief that all young people deserve access to high-quality STEM education to enable them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. With support from NSF, we’ve brought this mission to life in classrooms, afterschool programs, and informal learning settings—in Maine and across all 50 states.
Below are a few examples illustrating how, through our NSF-funded projects, MMSA collaborates with educators and researchers to create a lasting impact that extends to future generations.
- The PeBLES2 project empowered elementary teachers across the U.S. and internationally to adapt science curricula to their local contexts, leading to more engaging, relevant science instruction for hundreds of students and fostering a growing community of practice around place-based teaching.
- WeatherBlur supported rural educators in the implementation of computational thinking skills in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Math Common Core Standards through the lens of citizen science—making learning relevant and meaningful to a student’s community.
- ACRES is a free, nationally acclaimed coaching program building afterschool and out-of-school educators’ knowledge and skills so they can confidently facilitate STEM experiences for youth. Over the past nine years, ACRES has supported 1,400 educators and impacted approximately 28,300 students across all 50 states.
- The SciEPlay project is improving early childhood education by centering play as a powerful avenue for young children’s curiosity and scientific sensemaking, and by empowering PreK and Kindergarten teachers to intentionally use Science and Engineering Practices.
The NSF is also currently funding several new projects which MMSA is leading or a collaborating partner on, including Rural Energy Futures, Maine-SMART, Maine-Forest, and Smart Greenhouses.
With current grant project terminations happening and more pending, I believe it is more important than ever to shine a bright light on all of the accomplishments that the core vision of NSF has made possible—we must ensure that vital STEM education projects grounded in cutting-edge research and designed in partnership with the communities they serve continue to achieve the NSF’s critical mission for the future of our country. NSF plays a critical role in stem education and career aspirations, so it is vital that we all work to keep NSF strong and fully funded to empower the next generation.
At MMSA, we celebrate the deep and lasting impact NSF has had these past 75 years, and look forward to making sure that many more years of innovations and discoveries are made possible through NSF support.
