The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance is developing, assessing, and documenting a new model of professional development that targets out-of-school educators who want to embrace STEM education more deeply. MMSA’s Dr. Sue Allen directs this project. The pilot program has ended, and the resulting project ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Rural Educators in STEM) began in Summer 2015.
Working in close collaboration with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H program’s Associate Professor Kristy Ouellette and Dr. Lisa Phelps from University of Maine, MMSA investigated the possibilities for remote coaching in STEM skills for afterschool providers, incorporating existing cutting-edge video-based resources, like the Click2Science materials and adapting these for use in rural communities where educators are separated by very large distances and cannot easily meet in person.
MMSA ran two pilot online coaching courses with 21st CCLC directors and staff, and will develop the full model under the ACRES project.
