LATEST NEWS & INFO Category: Students

Thanks to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, schools across the Midwest can enroll in a free COVID-19 testing program. The newly launched Midwest Coordination Center (https://www.testedandprotected.org/) will pair schools with testing labs to deliver weekly screening results to schools and other organizations. The Midwest Coordination Center is managed by Battelle, which also manages the Ohio STEM Learning Network. Testing under the program is free, including sample collection supplies and shipping materials. Providing access to easy, reliable, and […]

Not even a pandemic could stop the 1,500+ students from 25 schools who completed this year’s #STEMpowersOhio Design & Entrepreneurship Challenge. Yesterday, we hosted the culminating event for the challenge – our annual showcase of the solutions students have created after a year of learning about energy, the design cycle, and so much more. In place of the normal celebration at Battelle, students and volunteer judges met online. Students delivered four minute “pitches” detailing all their learning. Three student teams […]

Happy holidays from the entire Ohio STEM Learning Network team. As we close out this eventful year, we’re taking a quick look back at you, our audience of educators, administrators and parents. What were the posts about STEM education you found most valuable? Looking at our website analytics, here are the top 10 most read posts. For each, we’ve included a brief note about what you can expect from this program in the coming year. Teachers: Apply now for an […]

The Ohio STEM Learning Network proudly announces a new collaboration between science non-profit Battelle and NASA—Next Gen STEM: Space from a Distance. At https://nextgenstem.battelle.org, explore NASA’s standards-aligned, hands-on STEM activities and then join us for an informational webinar on 12/9/2020 to learn how to qualify for a free STEM crate with supplies for 30 students. Starting next year on February 1st, https://nextgenstem.battelle.org will feature standards-aligned design challenges designed for K-12 by NASA professionals. Each week will focus on a different […]

For 20 years, the Columbus-based PAST Foundation has been working to improve education and “link learning to life.” The PAST Foundation (Partnering Anthropology with Science and Technology) offers educational programs for students and teachers and evaluates others’ programs to measure their impacts and outcomes. In a new endeavor, the foundation has been chosen to lead the Central Ohio Hub of the Ohio STEM Learning Network. A STEM innovator at the foundation – and its “Queen of Queries” – Mary Schneider […]

Thanks to the educational non-profit Esports Ohio, competitive esports – or sports competition using video games – have flourished in the state on the high school level. Since 2018, team esport contests have grown to include more than 2,600 student competitors from more than 130 Ohio school districts. To harness that student interest in esports on the scholastic side, Esports Ohio has partnered with the PAST Foundation and the North America Scholastic Esports Federation to create the Ohio Scholastic Esports […]

When the coronavirus pandemic prompted Ohio schools to close in March, district administrators, teachers, students and their families scrambled to quickly adapt to online learning. In northeastern Ohio, Akron Public Schools, the state’s fifth-largest district, gave its families much needed extra help. Under the leadership of Carla L. Chapman, District Director  of Community Relations, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a team created the Connectors program. Through the program, 254 trained, non-instructional staff members called Akron students to determine their needs, logging […]

The Ohio STEM Learning looks forward to supporting Ohio educators, students, and communities again this school year. Though school may look different, we will continue to grow STEM culture statewide. Battelle’s investment in STEM education is making a difference nationally and in Ohio. Through our STEM networks and philanthropy, Battelle reached over 325,000 students last year. The Ohio STEM Learning Network is strong – with 79 designated STEM/STEAM schools, better than ever collaboration and alignment with the Ohio Department of […]

For this year’s design challenge, we’re partnering with Ohio Energy Project, the Ohio Oil & Gas Energy Education Program, Young Entrepreneur Institute, and the Ohio Afterschool Network to explore the topic of Energy. The #STEMpowersOhio Design and Entrepreneurship Challenge asks students to “reimagine energy production and/or consumption to improve your community?” We’ve modified this year’s challenge to account for a variety of education options – hybrid, in person or fully remote.  We know this year is different from most – […]

Do STEM scientists, technology whizzes, engineers and mathematicians really work in ivory towers? Kids might think so. And that misconception could lead students to shun STEM-based career paths as boring and isolating. So how can educators dispel that notion and show that scientists work with other enthusiastic professionals, making breakthroughs in exciting, world-changing fields, with no ivory tower in sight? Have the kids watch Science Around Cincy, a video series exploring the work of people involved in science in the […]