STEAM TAC specialists Angie McDaniel and Cliff Sullivan celebrate building successful projectile launchers, which is one of the STEAM experiences middle school teachers can choose when they sign up to participate in a STEAM TAC classroom immersion.
MEDIA ADVISORY: WVU, WVPEC, W Va. Dept. of Education to hold opening ceremony for new STEAM technical assistance center
WHAT: Grand opening ceremony to celebrate the launch of a new Technical Assistance Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics held by West Virginia University, the West Virginia Department of Education and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 9, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mountaineer Middle School, 991 Price St, Morgantown
WHO: Mountaineer Middle School sixth grade students; Maryanne Reed, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, West Virginia University; W. Clayton Burch, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education; Scott Rotruck, member, West Virginia Board of Education and West Virginia Public Education Collaborative; Donna Hoylman Peduto, executive director, West Virginia Public Education Collaborative; Jennifer Schwertfeger, Program Manager, STEAM TAC; Dr. Frederic Bertley, President, Center of Science and Industry.
RSVP: Members of the media who would like to attend the ceremony should RSVP in advance to Katie Farmer at Katie.Farmer@mail.wvu.edu. Please arrive 30 minutes early to go through school security and bring a valid driver’s license or photo ID. Guests and media may park in the overflow parking area in the upper right lot located just before the bus loop. To exit ahead of the bus and parent lines, all participants should plan to leave the school no later than 2:30 p.m.
Face coverings are required indoors for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to Monongalia County Schools, regardless of vaccination status. Individuals should choose an appropriate disposable mask or a reusable mask made from two or more layers of fabric.
NOTES: The new STEAM TAC is currently open to all West Virginia public schools serving sixth through eighth grade students throughout 2022 and aims to expand the program to all students in grades six through twelve in years to come.
At the opening ceremony, speakers will briefly touch on the purpose of the STEAM TAC; the importance of STEAM education in West Virginia; the need to build a stronger pipeline of problem solvers and critical thinkers from K-12 through higher ed and beyond; and what educators and students can expect when they participate in the STEAM TAC.
To help engage attending students while celebrating the new Center and West Virginia’s statewide emphasis on STEAM education, representatives from the Center of Science and Industry from Columbus, Ohio will participate in the ceremony. They will lead an “elephant toothpaste” science experiment and distribute 300 Learning Lunchbox STEAM energy kits, which were designed in partnership with the National Energy Technology Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Education, to all Mountaineer Middle School sixth graders.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA:
As part of the STEAM TAC day of activities, companion events will be held at several middle schools in southern West Virginia. STEAM immersion experiences are planned for sixth-grade students and will also include use of the COSI energy boxes. Members of the media are invited to the schools at the designated times listed below to watch the activities and speak to STEAM TAC specialists, WVDE representatives, educators and students about the new resources available to the education community statewide.
School Name |
County |
Class 1 |
Class 2 |
Class 3 |
|
Mount View Middle School
|
McDowell |
12:44– 2:20 p..m |
2:23– 3:58 p.m. |
|
|
Man Middle School
|
Logan |
Noon– 12:46 p.m. |
12:48 -1:40 p.m. |
|
|
Lenore PreK-8
|
Mingo |
8:35 – 9:29 a.m. |
9:31– 10:22 a.m. |
11:17 a.m. to 12:08 p.m. |
|
Baileysville Middle School
|
Wyoming |
10:20-11:05 a.m. |
11:08 – 11:53 a.m. |
11:56 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. |
-WVU-
kf/12/08/21
For media inquiries about the STEAM TAC or ceremony
CONTACT: Katie Farmer
Communications Director and Marketing Strategist,
Office of the Provost
315-256-8509 (cell); Katie.Farmer@mail.wvu.edu
For media inquiries for southern West Virginia school events
CONTACT: Christy Day
West Virginia Department of Education Office of Communications
304-558-2699; Christy.Day@k12.wv.us
Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.
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