The 2012
Pittsburgh Regional STEM Summit today, Aug. 29, aims to make certain that local companies have well-qualified prospects for highly technical jobs today and in the future.
"It's really about continuing to foster connections between small and large businesses and thought leaders to make the region even more successful," says Lauren Trocano, manager of corporate social responsibility for Bayer Corporation, one of the Summit's sponsors.
That means connecting companies with educational and other programs throughout the region that have devised effective methods of teaching STEM subjects -- science, technology, engineering and math -- to students. Among the many featured presenters in the one-day Summit are:
- Maureen Pedzwater, career coordinator at South Fayette High School, who will speak about the district's partnerships with regional businesses and other institutions to provide students with real-world STEM-focused projects
- Erica Clayton Wright, public affairs manager for Kennametal Inc., who will outline the Kennametal Foundation's Young Engineers Program with Greater Latrobe School District.
- John Radzilowicz, director of the science and education division, and Linda Ortenzo, director of STEM programs, both of the Carnegie Science Center, who will discuss the Center's creation of the Chevron Center for STEM Education and Career Development
- Teresa Deflitch, director of Winchester Thurston School's City as Our Campus and Brady Hunsaker of Google, who will talk about their Mobile App Lab, held with students from South Fayette School District, Quaker Valley School District, and Pittsburgh Obama
- Kristin Rama, youth services coordinator for the Allegheny County Library Association and Gary Gardiner of the Idea Foundry, who will detail the online Questyinz summer learning game developed for K-5 students with support from the Grable Foundation
Keynote speakers for the event are the president of Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Gerald MacCleary and the director of programs from the New Tech Network, Paul Curtis, who will speak about national STEM education progress that might be adapted to this region.
Trocano hopes that attendees can glean "what Bayer has learned through its years of being involved in STEM education and what we're doing that other people can get involved in …"
Writer:
Marty Levine
Source: Lauren Trocano, Bayer Corporation