Imagination Station and Toledo Public Schools Collaborate
for Virtual STEMM Education
New grant offers education for
students and teachers; Engaging science videos are
accessible to all for free
At a time when the word
“virtual” has become a way of life, the need for new online
learning opportunities is growing. Toledo Public Schools and
Imagination Station are collaborating on two initiatives to
support STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and
medicine) education within TPS and beyond.
The first collaboration is a
grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Philanthropy
Ohio through the Collaborative Fund for Educating Remotely
and Transforming Schools that enhances virtual learning
opportunities. The $100,000+ grant will be implemented in
the first half of 2021 and include four key components:
* Virtual field trip
about “Forces and Motion” for fifth grade students at TPS
* Forces and Motion
science kits for every fifth grade student at TPS
* “Picture Yourself in
STEMM” livestream events, connecting TPS third, fourth and
fifth graders to a diverse network of professionals working
in STEMM fields
* Professional
development opportunities for TPS teachers focused on new
methods for teaching STEMM topics virtually
“As TPS teachers and
students have worked hard to embrace a virtual learning
environment, this grant and our partnership with Imagination
Station will only enhance and streamline the opportunities
for our kids to learn about STEMM topics,” said Romules
Durant, EdD, CEO/Superintendent of Toledo Public Schools.
The second collaboration
expands the use of science videos outside the walls of TPS.
Last summer, TPS and Imagination Station partnered to
produce a series of 13 videos that bring STEMM topics to
life for TPS students – regardless if they are learning in a
school setting or virtually. As of today, the videos are
available to anyone, anywhere, at no cost. With thanks to
TPS, all 13 videos are currently available on the
Imagination Station website. The videos may be viewed by
teachers in other school districts, homeschoolers, or
lifelong learners. Each video is designed to meet Ohio
curriculum guidelines for students in Kindergarten through
8th grade, and includes an introduction of a science topic
followed by a demonstration and hands-on activity for the
viewer to complete.
“These two initiatives
enhance STEMM education for today’s students, who are
tomorrow’s STEMM professionals,” said Lori Hauser, CEO of
Imagination Station. “We appreciate the opportunity to
partner with TPS and embrace virtual learning opportunities
that deliver on our mission to spark a passion for the
sciences.”
“We are going to continue to go after grant funds and help
feed these initiatives – we have to be more creative today
more than at any other time,” said Durant.
|