Battelle partners with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) and CA STEM Network to sponsor computational climate modeling workshop for K-12 teachers
July 7, Livermore, CA –
In early July, Richard Farnsworth, the Education Outreach Manager at Livermore National Lab (LLNL), located in Livermore, Calif., hosted a two-day workshop for secondary teachers focused on computer modeling. Not your everyday geometry to be sure! Why such an ambitious subject area? Mr. Farnsworth said the overall goal of the program is not only to educate students on how modeling works and how it can be applied, but to educate them on what types of courses they need to take in high school and college to pursue a career in computer modeling. Computing capacity also is a core competency at LLNL. This workshop introduced the teachers to Educational Global Climate Modeling (EdGCM) – a software suite that allows educators and students access to a research quality Global Climate Model that provides a user-friendly interface and can be operated on a desktop computer. On hand to facilitate the workshop were faculty from Columbia University who have worked extensively with NASA Goddard on global climate modeling. The Battelle Affiliated Labs STEM Education Community of Practice sponsored the Columbia faculty’s participation. The California STEM Network (CA STEM) also participated in this workshop, which marked the first in a series that hopes to bring additional modeling applications to larger groups of teachers by the summer of 2012. Desmond Stubbs, who leads the community of practice, attended the workshop and said it was an exciting experience that illustrates the type of novel collaborations emerging from the Battelle Affiliated Labs STEM education COP. For more information on this and future workshops at LLNL, please visit http://education.llnl.gov/.
Battelle Receives Highlands Award for Educational Contributions
On June 8, Bill Suchting, Battelle Senior Business Development Manager, proudly received the Highlands Award on behalf of Battelle from Highlands Executive Director Patricia Bonney. The Highlands Award recognizes extraordinary dedication and commitment to the children of the Highlands School. Battelle was selected as the recipient of the ninth annual Highlands Award for supporting STEM education by providing funding to purchase state-of-the-art science equipment and materials for the schools' student lab. Located in Bel Air, Md., the Highlands School serves students in grades K-8 who have the potential for average or above average academic achievement, but are struggling to learn by conventional teaching methods. To learn more about this extraordinary school, please visit http://www.highlandsschool.net/.
The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) Launches STEMscape 
On May 24, 2010, the Battelle-managed Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN), launched a new electronic newsletter, STEMscape! The newsletter is designed to share innovations and best practices occurring across the network of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools, programs and partners both inside and outside Ohio. Click the following link to read the newsletter and sign up for the publication: http://www.stemscape.org/
Battelle-Managed, Co-Managed Labs Participate in National Lab Day
National Lab Day (NLD) is a nationwide effort to build local communities of support for exciting, hands-on, discovery-based experiences in STEM for students. It fosters ongoing collaboration among volunteers, students and educators. And it’s not your typical “lab.”
"We define 'lab' quite broadly. It's not just test tubes and bubbling beakers, frogs or scurrying beetles. A lab is any place where students can tinker, explore, experiment, and test; it's any place that they can get their hands dirty and their minds engaged. A lab could be a laptop for a software designer, a mountaintop to a geologist, a computer link to a distant particle accelerator to a physicist, or a factory floor to an industrial engineer. It's a place where hands-on lessons in science, engineering, and technology can happen, or where math can come alive to a child. It could be anywhere in the physical or virtual world." - National Lab Day Web site.
NLD is more than just a day – it's an initiative for ongoing support for STEM students, teachers, volunteers and professionals. Click here to see how Battelle is involved with NLD.
Battelle Hosts Inaugural Workshop on Participatory Space Exploration and Education
On April 14 and 15, Battelle will host a unique workshop in cooperation with NASA. The goal of the Participatory Space Exploration and Education workshop is to facilitate discussions that will not only begin to formulate concepts for international, cost-effective exploration of the lunar surface, but also produce a set of recommendations to NASA for the effective implementation of a participatory space exploration program. Such a program would engage learners of all ages, from kindergarten through high school and beyond, in next-generation space missions beginning with the research and development that lays the foundation for such missions. Attendees of this event represent both NASA and the formal and informal education communities. Attendance at this workshop was by invitation only. Visit our site in the weeks ahead to see outcomes from what promises to be a very exciting event.
Dr. Wadsworth Testifies on STEM
Battelle President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Wadsworth will testify at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology hearing, “Reforming K-12 STEM Education,” this morning, March 4, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Dr. Wadsworth will describe Battelle’s history in STEM education, including its initiatives and partnerships on the state, local and national levels. Click here to visit the committee’s Web site and to view the live Webcast of the testimonies.
Dr. Brad Mitchell Speaks About STEM Education and Creating a Skilled Workforce
On Dec. 9, 2009, the Council of State Governments sponsored a STEM education Webinar featuring Dr. Brad Mitchell. Brad holds a joint OSU/Battelle appointment and is the Ohio State University/Battelle Director of STEM Partnerships. Brad is a core member of the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) team and focuses on the economic impact of STEM education. To view his presentation please click here.
A New Partner AND an Invitation to Become “Cyber Defenders!”
In April 2009, the press release hit the wire announcing that the AFA – Air Force Association - was named a national affiliate of the Battelle-managed Ohio Stem Learning Network (OSLN) initiative. In July 2009, a kickoff meeting was held at Battelle. In August, AFA invited Battelle/OSLN-supported Metro Early College High School to participate in its Cyber Patriot High School Competition. Clearly this new relationship is wasting no time in getting off the ground! Click here to read more about how Battelle's own Pete Hennessey facilitated this new partnership, and find out if our Metro students conquered the cyber world!
Sign the Beam!
On Sept. 8 and 9, 2009, Ohio Dominican University (ODU) students, faculty and staff, along with staff from Battelle, were invited to sign the final beam that completes the structural framing of the new Battelle Hall. The placing of this beam marks a real milestone in a project that was announced in November 2006, and has been supported by a $2.5 million gift from Battelle. Battelle Hall will house a new science building outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. This building will stand as a monument to Battelle's commitment to improving educational practices at all levels, especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. The ODU gift showcases that commitment through improved facilities and programs that will aid not just science students, but students who are studying to become our next generation of science teachers.
Rich Rosen Delivers Keynote at North Carolina STEM Seminar
More than 120 national and state leaders including North Carolina Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation participated in Turning STEM Conversations into Action: Collaborative Networks Designed for Sustainability, on Aug. 28,2009, at the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. The event included keynote addresses and panel discussions by leading STEM experts, including our own Rich Rosen. Rich delivered his message with David Ferrero, Senior Program Officer and STEM Lead for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The theme of the discussion was, “Networking Does Not Equal Network”. Rich shared how the Ohio STEM Learning Newtork (OSLN) has gone from concept to implementation. Please click here to view the slide presentation.