Opportunity to speak to Texas Policy makers

[Andrew Schuetze]

This announcement just came into my inbox from a science coordinator for the Texas Education Agency. If you live in or around the Houston Area, please consider attending this conference and look for opportunities to tell this blue panel committee that FIRST has a program with 14 years of experience attacking this very issue.

You are invited...
On behalf of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas and Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, we invite you to our upcoming conference:

Improving Math and Science Education: Texas Responses to the Gathering Storm
Saturday, October 13, 2007
7:30 am - registration
Baker Institute
Rice University
To attend, please register online at Bakerinstitute.org/education.cfm.
Featured Speakers:
US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Rod Paige, former US Secretary of Education
Tom Luce, former Assistant Secretary, US Department of Education
The 2005 National Academies report "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" described how the United States is losing its preeminence in science and technology. One major fact is the diminishing quality of K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. In response to the report, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson charged The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) with developing a proposal for improving STEM education. Co-founded by Senator Hutchison and Nobel Laureates Michael Brown and the late Richard Smalley, TAMEST consists of Texas' Nobel Laureates and member of the National Academies whose aim is to strengthen Texas' research community. The goal of this event is to engage stakeholders in developing recommendation to make Texas a model state in efforts to enhance STEM education. Topics to be discussed include STEM teacher recruitment and skills training, creating a culture of intent on! the expansion of STEM education, and enlarging the pipeline of STEM students.

Agenda.pdf

[lynca]

Sounds great, I wonder if local teams can Demo their robot at the conference?

How much is registration and do you need an invitation to attend?

I will try to be there since I am very near Rice University.

[Andrew Schuetze]

It appears to be free.
Here is the link for on-line registration and I'll look for a contact us link to see if you can request to bring FRC, VEX/FTC, Botball, ... Registration

© Copyright 2007 Rice University · James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
6100 Main Street · Rice University · Baker Hall · Suite 120 · Houston, TX 77005
Email: bakerwww@rice.edu · Phone: (713) 348.4683 · Fax: (713) 348.5993

[Andrew Schuetze]

I hear that a Lone Star regional staffer/volunteer plans on attending this presentation and I would guess that Andrew Lynch is going as well. Anybody know of other folks attending? Maybe you all can talk on the phone or talk strategy prior to the meeting(s).

APS


PS report back here afterwards with any post conference remarks.

[lynca]

Very informative session this week. Here is a script of a similar speech , Neal made earlier this year. HR 362 addresses the critical need to improve the quality of teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in our schools.

http://science.house.gov/legislation...px?NewsID=1233

Section 204
#

Establishes a national panel of experts to identify and collect K–12 mathematics and science teaching materials that have been demonstrated to be effective and to recommend the development of new materials in areas where effective materials do not exist;

NSF has been authorized many millions of dollars dedicated to improving science and technology for the nation.
Hopefully FIRST Robotics will be under their consideration.

NSF has some interesting articles setup about building Math and Science
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ....d=5756&org=DUE
However I don't see any details about incorporating FIRST into their program yet.

[lynca]

Rice published a news article about the TAMEST event.

[Andrew Schuetze]

Do you see any possible next steps for FIRST teams to take as a follow up with the program?

You did an excellent job of posting links to the notes from the proceedings of the conference