PARTNERSHIPS
Partnership is essential! West Sound STEM offers such a diverse array of events for professional learning by partnering with industry experts and educators who share the common goal of increasing access to STEM career pathways for Washington students.
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Many events are developed and delivered by members and partners in leadership and technical roles, representing myriad STEM industries, sharing their resources and expertise. These events are designed to highlight individual professions and fields of study leading to high-demand, high-tech, family-wage jobs. They include our STEM Cafés, workshops and lectures, externships, professional learning cohorts, data deep dives, roundtable discussions, and more.
K12 Ocean Observatories Initiative
A National Science Foundation grant was awarded to West Sound STEM Network to support a K12 Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Workshop Series. A professional learning community of K12 teacher leaders from northwest Washington school districts, private and Tribal schools, in partnership with University of Washington (UW) School of Oceanography scientists, will engage in a K12 Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) workshop centered on learning marine science through the use of data from the OOI Regional Cabled Array (RCA). Read more...
Teacher-Scientist Partnership Program
In partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory (MCRL), teachers from WSSN districts pair with PNNL scientists to explore marine renewable energy and design challenges for their classrooms. Battelle, operator of PNNL for the U.S. Dept. of Energy, awarded a $75,000 grant, the second of three, to WSSN to support participation in the Teacher-Scientist Partnership (TSP) program. After completing a TSP experience, teachers leave with a better understanding of real-world STEM problems, deepen their understanding of the concepts they teach, and gain awareness of the breadth of STEM career pathways available for their students.