This article was originally published by Phenomenal Science at: http://phenomscience.weebly.com/stemworks-announcement.html
Phenomenal Science is pleased to announce that it has been awarded approval for entry into the STEMworks database as a promising program. As described on their website, “STEMworks is a searchable online honor roll of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. STEMworks helps companies, states, and individuals make smart investments in their communities by evaluating and cataloging programs that meet rigorous and results-driven design principles.”
Being listed in the STEMworks database will qualify Phenomenal Science to be eligible to receive various funding. For the last two years, the State of Michigan appropriated funds for highly-rated STEM programs as determined by STEMworks and the MiSTEM Advisory Council. Moving forward, Phenomenal Science will qualify to be included in applications for those grants of up to $100,000 each. These funds can serve to offset costs associated with professional learning and materials since Phenomenal Science Units remain FREE to access.
Being accepted as a STEMworks program is a very rigorous process, which the Phenomenal Science Team should be very proud to achieve. Over the course of just three years, the team of Teacher Authors, Grade-Level Coaches and Project Managers have developed a completely new resource to meet the new Michigan Science Standards, with the great support of partners and collaborators such as Michigan Virtual, Central Michigan University, Oakland Schools and the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network, as well as over 600 field testing teachers and schools around the state. Nothing like Phenomenal Science has existed in the past, which makes this a major accomplishment.
In order to achieve STEMworks approval, a program must meet the standards of design principles including: identifying need, rigorous evaluation, sustainability, scalability, partnerships, capacity, challenging and relevant STEM content, incorporating STEM practices, inspiring interest in STEM and addressing the needs of underrepresented groups. Approximately only one-quarter to one-third of programs that apply are awarded STEMworks approval at any level. According to STEMworks, a promising program “has been evaluated and deemed to have strong potential to meet the design principles for quality but requires further development”
To learn more about this program, visit the Phenomenal Science website. If you have further questions about the Phenomenal Science STEMworks acceptance and what this means for your school, please contact Darcy McMahon, Phenomenal Science Project Director.
To learn more about Michigan Virtual‘s partnership with Phenomenal Science, visit:
https://michiganvirtual.org/about/partners/phenomenal-science/
