Innovative Leaders Institute: Bridge to STEM
Leading change: The journey to STEM excellence
Innovative Leaders Institute: Bridge to STEM aims to bring together leaders of aspiring STEM and STEAM schools and strengthen their knowledge of STEM education, STEM culture, and leading for change.
Grounded in the tenets of transformational leadership and the elements of the Quality Model for STEM and STEAM Schools and the STEM and STEAM Designation Rubric, this year-long program adopts a practitioner-oriented approach to creating schoolwide STEM culture, ensuring buy-in and providing supports to all stakeholders in transforming educational practices into high-quality STEM teaching and learning, and creating strong community supports through partnerships with business, industry, non-profits, and higher education institutions.
Core topics
- STEM School Immersion: September 26, 2024
- STEM Culture and Identity: November 20, 2024
- Business, Community, and School Connections: January 15, 2025
- STEM Designation: Asynchronous learning January-March; 90-minute Q&A session on March 20, 2025
- Teachers in STEM Schools: April 9, 2025
- Student Experiences in STEM Schools: April 10, 2025
Program details
Applications close June 1, 2024
Eligibility
- A school or district leader (principal, assistant principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, etc.)
- from a school not currently STEM or STEAM designated
- from a currently STEM or STEAM designated looking to re-ignite STEM practices and culture
- Optional but strongly encouraged: Additional team member such as another school leader, instructional coach, curriculum specialist, or teacher leader
Expectations
Thanks to Ohio’s generous support of the Ohio STEM Learning Network, the $2,750.00 program fee (per school) for the 2024-2025 ILI: Bridge to STEM is waived.
The program participants are expected to:
- Attend and actively participate in all program meetings (virtual and in-person)
- Complete asynchronous program tasks and activities
The inaugural cohort of ILI: Bridge to STEM is limited to 18 schools (36 participants). Due to limited number of seats, program fee being waved, and multiple events taking place during the school year, the accepted participants will be required to confirm their district leadership’s (superintendent) support for participating in the program.
Deadline
Applications for the Institute will be accepted on rolling basis. The applications will close May 31, 2024.
The notifications of selected cohort participants will begin in April. Participants not accepted into the cohort will be placed on the waiting list and notified of their status no later than June 15, 2024.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all participants during the in-person workshops.
Institute participants will have an opportunity to earn graduate college credit.
Facilitators
Dee Martindale, District STEM Coordinator for Lakewood Local Schools
Read Dee’s perspective in: Faculty member of leaders institute: “STEM isn’t just one more thing” published in 2017
Larry W. Johnson, Jr., Secondary Principal Supervisor for Akron Public Schools
Read Larry’s perspective in “Five things you’ll learn through the Innovative Leaders Institute“
Applications close June 1, 2024
The Bridge to STEM experience
1) STEM School Immersion
Begin your leadership journey with a day of:
- Observing, experiencing, interacting, and reflecting on elements of culture and education in a STEM designated school
- Building understanding of differing experiences of teaching, learning, and leadership in STEM schools through conversations with teachers, students, and school leaders.
DATE: September 26, 2024
LOCATION: STEM school, Akron, Ohio
2) STEM Culture and Identity
Learning ready-to-implement strategies for:
- Creating new or transforming current vision for learning anchored in STEM education and culture
- Collaboratively identifying school values and approaches for schoolwide implementation of the values
- Ensuring buy-in of all stakeholders in implementing STEM culture and education
DATE: November 20, 2024
LOCATION: STEM school, TBD
3) Business, Community, and School Connections
Learning ready-to-implement leadership strategies for:
- Creating new partnerships with business, industry, and community organizations
- Creating new partnerships with higher education institutions
- Leveraging business, community, and higher education partnerships
- Building and leveraging STEM school advisory group
DATE: January 15, 2025
LOCATION: STEM school, TBD
4) STEM Designation
Gain understanding of what it means to be STEM/STEAM designated by the Ohio STEM Committee
Learn requirements for earning designation across the three domains of the STEM/STEAM Quality Model
Engage in a Q&A session around STEM/STEAM designation
DATE: Asynchronous learning January-March; 90-minute Q&A session on March 20, 2025
LOCATION: Virtual
5) Teachers in STEM Schools
- Creating school structures that promote interdisciplinary collaboration
- Establishing schoolwide expectations for fostering STEM culture and values
- Gaining understanding of spectrum of STEM instructional approaches
- Identifying and planning personalized STEM focused professional learning for teachers
- Ensuring high levels of collaboration among staff
DATE: April 9, 2025
LOCATION: Central Ohio
6) Student Experiences in STEM Schools
Learning ready-to-implement strategies for:
- Gaining understanding of personalized learning
- Implementing and fostering classroom and school mastery learning model
- Supporting staff in providing dynamic assessment opportunities
DATE: April 10, 2025
LOCATION: Central Ohio