College Receives $20k Grant to Develop Science Enrichment Program for Local Schools
KEENE, N.H., 2/14/08 - Keene State College has been awarded a $20,000 Bank of America Charitable Foundation grant to develop Science Out of the Box, an enrichment program that will engage elementary school students with direct experience and experimentation to enhance essential concepts and principles in science.
A sampling of Science Out of the Box inquiry science units will be field tested for three weeks this summer as part of Keene State College’s Kids on Campus program. Assessment data from this field test will be analyzed and used to develop Science Out of the Box curriculum for next fall in Winchester and Keene elementary schools.
The New Hampshire Department of Education, in conjunction with the Rhode Island and Vermont Departments of Education, has developed a common set of grade-level student expectations in mathematics, reading, and writing, known as the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). Beginning in the spring of 2008, science assessment will be administrated.
“Our hope is that this program will cultivate a passion for science by engaging children in scientific exploration that helps them develop ideas and explanations about the natural world,” said Dr. Deborah Black, education professor at Keene State and co-director of the KSC Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) site. “At the same time, we have the opportunity to provide education enrichment experiences for elementary school students and a service- learning component for KSC education majors.”
Previous grants from Bank of America have supported Keene State College’s GEMS program.
“Bank of America commends Keene State College for developing innovative techniques to educate our state’s youth in the sciences,” said John F. Weeks, president, Bank of America New Hampshire. “These funds will help our children gain the essential skills they need to be successful in their academic careers and, in turn, their professional careers. We are proud to support this important effort.”
For more information on the Science Out of the Box program, contact Deborah Black (dblack@keene.edu) or Sally Jean (sjean@keene.edu). For more information on Keene State College’s Kids on Campus program, visit www.keene.edu/conted/kids.cfm.
