“Science and technology are at the heart of nation’s ability to compete in a global economy and to solve our most pressing challenges. “Our future hinges on the next generation of scientists and engineers. I look forward to continuing to work with Innovate-Educate New Mexico.”
Innovate-Educate Announce Education Grants
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Dec. 21, 2009) – Innovate-Educate New Mexico (IENM), a statewide catalyst in 21st century education and incubator state to national education leader Innovate-Educate, announced today on behalf of Qwest Communications and New Mexico’s Affiliate Chapter of the International Society for Technology in Education (NMSTE) have awarded five grants totaling $25,000 to qualifying education projects in New Mexico.
The qualification process opened in the fall with several applicants. Through the selection process, three projects each were funded at $5,000 along with one at $4,000 and another at $3,000. The remaining $3,000 will be used towards travel and expenses for grant recipients at this spring’s statewide teacher conference in Albuquerque.
“Innovate-Educate applauds Qwest for their partnership in advancing innovations in teaching and learning and recognizing the tremendous needs for funding and resources for their projects,” said Jamai Blivin, Executive Director of Innovate-Educate and Innovate-Educate New Mexico. “We commend New Mexico teachers for their vision and passion for technology and STEM education.”
“Improving education in the communities where our customers live and work is a priority for the Qwest Foundation,” said Loretta A. Armenta, Qwest’s president for New Mexico. “At its heart, the Qwest Teachers and Technology grant program is designed to better prepare New Mexican students to compete and succeed in our technology-driven world by helping teachers get technology into their classrooms to introduce and reinforce key concepts.”
“NMSTE was thrilled to see so many high-quality applications from teachers across the state of New Mexico,” added Jill Brown, NMSTE President. “We want to thank Qwest and Innovate-Educate for this wonderful professional development opportunity. We also want to thank the winning teachers and fellow professionals who will use this to continue to help prepare productive citizens for New Mexico in the 21st Century.”
Receiving a $5,000 grant was Sierra Media Magnet for their Las Cruces Heroes Film Project at Sierra Middle School. No other middle school in the southern part of the entire state offers this amount of intensified curricula – featuring magnets for media, dance, science, theater, and piano just to name a few.
Math for a New Generation at Peñasco Middle School received $5,000 towards increasing the ratio of computers to students in math to 1:1 while exploring real-world issues and the use mathematic and technologic tools to engage in issue-related discussions; and familiarize students with technology-driven learning environments.
The third $5,000 grant was awarded for the 21st Century Guide to Roadside Geology at Vista Grande High School. Dubbed the “Best Virtual Fieldtrip on the Internet,” the junior and senior classes will be leading an expedition into the roadside geology of New Mexico; from which they will share their knowledge through a digital recreation of the Halka Chronic book, “A Roadside Guide to Geology of New Mexico.”
Online Advanced Placement Computer Science and Supercomputing Challenge received $4,000 for their ongoing commitment to offering Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) to schools throughout New Mexico. The overarching goal is to give all students throughout New Mexico, both rural and urban, an opportunity to prepare for post-secondary academic programs that require a fundamental background in computing principles.
Picacho Middle School will receive $3,000 to create Media Public Service Announcements. The team-teachers will facilitate student experiences in creating announcements to be played on closed circuit television and low-powered AM radio. Students will create video and audio about important topics that affect middle school students and the community at large.
Innovate-Educate also is pleased to announce the dates to the NMSTE/IENM Innovations in Leadership & Learning Conference on Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23, at the Marriott Pyramid in Albuquerque. This annual event brings together state and national leaders in industry, education, and government to coordinate existing efforts and collaborate on new ideas that engage students in the science and engineering fields to prepare a competitive workforce in the U.S. Last year, nearly 700 attended this event.
Innovate-Educate Works to Advance STEM Education
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Feb. 26, 2009) – Innovate-Educate New Mexico (IENM) will host its first national conference to advance engineering and science education on April 30, May 1 and May 2 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
This annual event will bring together state and national leaders in industry, education, and government to coordinate existing efforts and collaborate on new ideas that engage students in the science and engineering fields to prepare a competitive workforce in the U.S.
“Today, we are faced with a national challenge that hits the core of our economy: we are failing to graduate engineering and science students to meet the demands of a competitive world driven by productive and innovative markets,” says Jami Grindatto, Intel’s New Mexico Corporate and Government Affairs Director. “Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the innovators’ basic tools to solve the world’s most pressing issues, create products and deliver services that improve our lives. New Mexico and the United States must increase the number of graduates in engineering and sciences. This is Innovate-Educate New Mexico’s main objective to secure long-term economic health.”
The goal of the Innovate-Educate New Mexico 2009 Conference is to initiate such efforts and create new opportunities for education professionals to advance and improve engineering and science education. It is IENM’s goal that these efforts serve as a national model by delivering substantive improvements in engineering and science education by applying best practices in a coordinated and methodical way. IENM’s leadership believes that all stakeholders have to engage to achieve success.
Mark your calendars for the IENM’s 2009 Conference on April 30, May 1 and May 2.
Registration and Sponsorship
For sponsorship, contact Jamai Blivin at jamai@innovate-educatenm.org. For event information, contact Shawna Arroyo at Shawna@innovate-educatenm.org or 575-646-4401. You can register for this event online at https://www.regonline.com/k12edtechandinnovate.
About Innovate Educate New Mexico www.innovate-educatenm.org
Innovate-Educate New Mexico is an industry-led partnership with education and government leaders to develop and coordinate new, innovative efforts to inspire and engage education professionals and students in the engineering and science fields, resulting in a competitive workforce for the U.S.