Interview – Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance

“Connecting to Our Local Phenomena”: An Interview with Sensemaking about Place Teachers

fiveleafdesign — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:01:33 +0000

Sensemaking about Place (SaP) is a project that equips educators with science curriculum developed as part of the PeBLES2 project, which is designed to be adaptable to local contexts and phenomena. The project began last year, acquainting teachers with the existing materials they would adapt and build from. With SaP participant teachers heading into the second half of the academic year…

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Launching Free STEM Afterschool Coaching Materials: An Interview with Becky Tapley

fiveleafdesign — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:56:18 +0000

We recently sat down with Becky Tapley to talk about the release of ACRES coaching materials. Becky is a STEM Education Specialist at MMSA and has worked as an ACRES coach for more than four years. She also worked with ACRES coaches around the country as they adapted ACRES to their own unique contexts.First off, what is ACRES, and why this is an exciting time for the project?

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Interview with MMSA’s Dr. Heidi Cian on NSF CADRE Fellowship

fiveleafdesign — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 02:48:59 +0000

Heidi Cian, a researcher at MMSA, recently became one of nine early career researchers(opens in a new tab) selected for a highly competitive National Science Foundation fellowship. We caught up with Heidi to learn more about what this opportunity means for her and for MMSA.What is CADRE?CADRE stands for “Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education,” which is a project of the Education…

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What to Know About STEM Micro-credentials for Out-of-School Educators

fiveleafdesign — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 23:23:04 +0000

In this blog post, we hear from ACRES(opens in a new tab) Project Leader and Coach Perrin Chick about the exciting possibilities of micro-credentials for out-of-school educators. Why do you want more people to know about STEM micro-credentials? I love the concept of STEM micro credentials, or competency-based recognition represented by digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school…

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SciEPlay Partner Spotlight: Dr. Rachel Larimore on Nature-Based Learning

fiveleafdesign — Tue, 28 May 2024 22:50:17 +0000

Meet Rachel Larimore, Ph.D.(opens in a new tab), founder and chief visionary of Samara Early Learning(opens in a new tab) and one of our key collaborators on the SciEPlay project. Rachel is a celebrated educator, speaker, consultant, and author of multiple books, including Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool, Preschool Beyond Walls, and Evaluating Natureness. Her passion and expertise is nature…

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MMSA Researcher Attends White House STEMM Summit

fiveleafdesign — Mon, 06 May 2024 19:39:50 +0000

Dr. Heidi Cian—an informal education researcher and STEM education specialist at MMSA— traveled to Washington D.C. to take part in the 2024 White House Summit on STEMM Equity and Excellence(opens in a new tab) on May 1st. Co-hosted by the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) and the STEMM Opportunity Alliance(opens in a new tab), the event’s theme was “Propelling Progress and…

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ACRES Celebrates Afterschool Educators

fiveleafdesign — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:00:11 +0000

During Afterschool Professional Appreciation Week, the ACRES program(opens in a new tab) at MMSA is thrilled to spotlight five outstanding afterschool educators who represent the #HeartOfAfterschool. In this post, hear from these ACRES participants about what makes their unique afterschool programs impactful and learn more about the ways they integrate STEM into their work.

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