Erikson Institute Recognized by The White House for Advancing Early Learning STEM
CHICAGO, April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two new STEM programs that will reach thousands of young children in Chicago were honored Thursday by The White House as it kicked off an Early Learning STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) symposium. Erikson Institute, the nation's premier graduate school in child development impacts young children and families through research, service and advocacy, was the only Chicago-based organization recognized for its commitment to "promoting STEM learning across the country."
"It is an honor for Erikson Institute to receive this important national recognition for our efforts to advance STEM for young children," said Geoffrey A. Nagle, Ph. D., Erikson's president and CEO. "Through research, education and empowering parents and teachers, we are deepening our commitment to early STEM learning with a particular focus on technology and math."
The White House highlighted the new programs offered through Erikson's Early Math Collaborative and the Technology in Early Childhood Center. Leaders of both Erikson initiatives were invited to Washington, D.C., to participate in the symposium and share ideas.
Erikson's programs include:
- The Technology in Early Childhood Center will launch an online repository for STEM learning plans that align to early childhood development goals; organize a conference on teaching STEM to children with developmental and learning disabilities; develop a technology integration approach that supports early STEM learning; and, in collaboration with the national Association of Children's Museums and the Association for Library Services to Children, deliver STEM professional development to library and museum educators across the country.
- The Early Math Collaborative, in partnership with the City of Chicago and with support from the National Science Foundation, will launch Collaborative Math, a new professional development model designed to establish excellence in early math teaching in early childhood programs. The Early Math Collaborative will implement the new model at 28 Head Start sites in Chicago.
In his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Barack Obama challenged the country to provide every student with authentic STEM experiences to learn subjects like science, math and computer science.
Along with the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Chicago, Erikson leads the Early Childhood STEM Working Group, which will make a set of achievable recommendations to educational leaders and policymakers to promote research, practice and advocacy that will lead to high-quality STEM experiences for all young children.
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SOURCE Erikson Institute
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