Overview of Strive and the Private Sector Or Agency Partnership

OVERVIEW OF STRIVE AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR ORAGENCY PARTNERSHIP

We invite your organization to participate in our Arkansas STRIVE program. STRIVE is the acronym for Supporting Teachers Research Involvement for Vital Education. The Arkansas STRIVE program places secondary school science, math, and computer teachers into summer research positions in industries, businesses, government agencies, universities, research facilities, and nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the program is to provide the teachers with hands-on, real-world research experiences that expand their scientific and technological knowledge. We work with the teachers to develop inquiry-based and problem-based lessons from their summer research experiences that they can use in their classes.

The Arkansas STRIVE program began in 1990 and has been funded largely by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Arkansas Departments of Education and Higher Education, the National Center for Toxicological Research, and Arkansas industries, foundations, and universities (UAMS, UAF and UALR). NSF and the American Association for the Advancement of Science are concerned about the number and quality of students entering the fields of science, mathematics, and technology. In particular, experts predict that we may not be producing enough people with the skills needed by our high-tech industries. Therefore, NSF and other organizations have instituted programs and educational reforms designed to improve science education in the United States. STRIVE is a program designed to enrich science education with help from the private sector and government agencies. Since its inception, 725 Arkansas teachers have conducted summer research. With your help, we expect to place up to 25 teachers in research positions in 2016.

Participation in the STRIVE program can provide many benefits to your organization. You can get well-trained help for one of your on-going projects or initiate a project that you have been planning to do when the right person or opportunity becomes available. You will have mature, dependable help and be able to exchange ideas with the teachers. You also will be helping to improve science and technology teaching in our secondary schools via the knowledge and experiences that the teachers bring back to the classroom. Improvements in education will mean better-trained future employees for your organization and for other groups. Participation in the STRIVE program can foster closer ties between your organization and the school district and community.

If your organization would like to provide an opportunity for a teacher, please contact the Arkansas STRIVE staff. We will match teachers' backgrounds with research opportunities as closely as possible. The teachers receive a $4,500 stipend for the 8-week program (June 6-July 29, 2016). We provide $2,100 per teacher through our State education grants and request $2,400 per teacher from your organization. You do not need to provide benefits or insurance for the teachers. We hope that you will share in this partnership to improve science, math, and technology education. You can contact Dr. Jim Winter, Director (501-569-8069; ) or for additional information.