Mayville State Home
Newsroom
   
   News and Events
   -News
   -Calendar of Events
   Multimedia
   -Audio/Video
   -Webcasts
   -Photo Gallery
   Publications
   -MSU Today

Mayville State University Hosts First Annual STEM Carnival

The Mayville State University Wellness Center Gymnasium was brimming with activity on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The Wellness Center was the site for the first annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) carnival. More than three hundred youth, ages pre-school through high school, and their parents participated in this event sponsored by the STEM Initiative at Mayville State University.

The event gave twenty-five Mayville State University students enrolled in teacher education programs an opportunity to present short lessons to community members. The lessons involved hand-on activities focusing on the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition to the student-led presentations, carnival participants could get involved with several learning stations that were set up for family interaction. These included building stations, reading corners, logic games, and puzzles.

Throughout the day, many buildings were built, puzzles solved, and discoveries made. Learning stations included “Dinosaur Dig,” Planetarium,” “Snap circuits,” “Marble Runs,” “Gears, Gears, Gears,” “Light/Color,” “Sound,” “Ice Cream in a Bag,” “Sink or Float,” “Magnetism,” “Make a Comet,” “Mindflex,” “Hot/Cold,” “Flight,” “Detective Casebook,” “DNA Modeling, “Fingerprint Classifying,” “Bridge Building,” “Mega-view Microscope, “LEGO Robotics,” and “Glo Germ.”

“The STEM Carnival was a great success,” said coordinator Missy Hutter. “Thank you to everyone who attended the event and to all who helped in any way. We look forward to future STEM events.”

There is growing concern across North Dakota and the nation about the low number of students, teachers, and professionals prepared in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Somewhere between the fourth grade and high school, students are falling behind in mathematics and science ability. By the time most students reach their final two years of high school, fewer than 15% have enough mathematics and science knowledge to pursue science and technology degrees in college (U.S. Department of Education). Not only are the students underprepared, they are also losing interest. Additional studies show that females and students from lower socioeconomic levels are less likely to enroll in STEM-related courses.

To assist with these issues, Mayville State University has been granted $250,000 from the North Dakota University System for the 2009-2011 STEM Initiative. The funding is being used to implement several initiatives impacting Mayville State University’s teacher education program, collaborative P-12 partners, and the community.

Mayville State is partnering with the Heart of the Valley Interactive Television Consortium, Red River Valley Education Cooperative, Mayville State University Child Development Programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, and Pre-K), and the Eastern North Dakota Area Health Education Center.

Plans are to enhance Mayville State University’s Pre-K, elementary and secondary teacher education curriculum in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to ensure that the teacher education program is aligned with the P-12 standards outlined by the state of North Dakota. Mayville State will develop, provide in-service training, and send STEM curricular kits with accompanying lesson plans and rubrics that supplement P-12 curriculum alignment to school districts. A STEM certification for Mayville State’s teacher education students, as well as professionals already in the workforce, will be developed and implemented.

Mayville State will develop and implement comprehensive STEM-enriched professional development programs for its partners. This will include an Educator’s STEM Boot Camp and professional development offered via interactive television.

A STEM Career Day for partnering HOV-ITV and RRVEC high school students was held at Mayville State on March 24, 2010, and elementary school students will have access to the STEM College for Kids summer experience this July. An on-line career awareness course for high school juniors and seniors and college freshman is being developed and implemented, and iPod lessons for students needing additional academic assistance in mathematics and science will be created.

For more information about the STEM Initiative at Mayville State University, and to see photos from the STEM Carnival held April 10, click here.