Tech Valley News
Education Initiatives Expand Throughout Region
Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the New York State Senate, the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition will expand the GE Presents Love SAM (Science and Math) and Teacher Externship programs throughout the Tech Valley region. These innovative programs are designed to help create the future workforce in Tech Valley.
The Tech Valley Chamber Coalition, made up of 24 chambers of commerce in 19 counties representing more than 21,000 member businesses that employ more than 550,000 individuals, will help spread the two successful education initiatives throughout Tech Valley.
“We are pleased to provide this grant to allow the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition to expand these worthwhile programs, giving teachers new tools that encourage their students to pursue careers in math, science and technology, while better preparing them for the future,” said Senate Majority Leader, Joseph L. Bruno.
GE Presents Love SAM serves to inspire the next generation of tech innovators. The pilot program, funded by a $150,000 grant from GE, took place at North Albany Academy this past school year. Based on the New York state curriculum, the program uses project based learning activities to nurture the love of science and math in our young people.
This fall, the Love SAM program will expand to five additional classrooms in Clinton, Dutchess, Herkimer, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties.
“Between the trips going to the river, bringing back and working with living biomes, to engage in, instead of being a passive learner of some of this, it’s very exciting stuff,” Brinckerhoff Elementary Principal Ursula Platz told the Mid-Hudson News Network. Brinckerhoff – in the Dutchess county town of Fishkill – is one of the schools that will host a Love SAM program.
“In first grade, they are so excited about learning," Brinckerhoff Teacher Amy McNamara told the Poughkeepsie Journal of her students. “If we can get them to hold on to that, they can carry it through the fourth-grade and beyond.”
The initiative aims to help students develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, oral communications, presentation, technology literacy and global awareness.
“At first I didn't know what was in store for me,” Mount Markham Elementary School
Teacher Becky Marzeski told the Herkimer Telegram. “But now I'm in with both feet and so excited to be doing this.” Mount Markham is another school taking part in Love SAM.
“It's all hands-on active work that makes kids see themselves as scientists,” Troy City School District Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Mary Capobianco told The Record. “It's a way of learning that gets the kids much more involved and figuring things out through discovery.” School 14 in Troy will also participate in Love SAM.
“Young children have a natural curiosity and the Love SAM hands-on program will show elementary age students that learning about science and math does not mean just memorizing facts. They'll find that these subjects can be exciting and fun and have real implications to their own lives,” said Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C Poughkeepsie), chairman of the Senate Education Committee. “I cannot think of a better way to start these children on the road to a lifelong love of learning. I commend the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition for its commitment to education.”
“The Tech Valley Chamber Coalition is excited to expand these two cutting edge education initiatives throughout Tech Valley,” said Linda Hillman, Tech Valley Chamber Coalition president. “Love SAM gives students a glimpse into the world of science and math, and a chance to start a dialogue about their future at an early age. The program captures the imagination of students and teachers, giving them renewed enthusiasm.”
The Tech Valley Teacher Externship Program exposes teachers to careers in the math, science and technology fields, and educates them about the skills needed for future employment in Tech Valley.
Teachers have the opportunity to work in technology companies and gain valuable insight into the demands of the modern workplace. These experiences give teachers a chance to influence both curriculum and the way that students learn.
Thanks to the generosity of Citizens Bank, the Teacher Externship pilot program placed nine teachers with local high-tech companies in 2005. This summer, with the help of the state Senate, 27 teachers were placed with high-tech companies by the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition throughout the region.
As part of the program ninth-grade algebra teacher Flannery Denny from Rondout Valley High School in Accord studied solar engineering, met with energy experts and even climbed a roof to install solar panels. She worked for FALA Technologies, coordinating a solar energy consortium.
"It's a great opportunity for our region of Tech Valley to make a connection between teachers and industry," Frank Falatyn, president and CEO of FALA Technologies told The Poughkeepsie Journal.
"It is critical to connect the lessons in my class to the world outside my classroom," Denny told The Poughkeepsie Journal.
Bruce Allen, a teacher at Bethlehem High School, is spending his summer working at SuperPower Inc., a manufacturer of high-temperature superconducting wire in Schenectady.
“We came away with a global sense of how this business came to be, is run and became profitable. Now I can go point by point on what skills are needed for kids in the high-tech world,” Allen said.
“If we can’t educate the future workforce, then we won’t be successful. We need teachers to inspire their students to further their education,” said Tech Valley Chamber Coalition Chair, Lyn Taylor. “Through the Teacher Externship program, teachers gain practical knowledge to take back into the classroom, giving their students a snapshot of the real world.”
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