regional stem hubs ode grants oregon coast stem hub fiscal ... · oregon coast stem hub final...

Oregon Coast STEM Hub Final Report 2013-2015, 7/31/15

Regional STEM HubsODE Grants

Oregon Coast STEM HubFiscal Agent: Lincoln County School District

Grant: { } Subgrant: { }

Submitted by: Birgitte Ryslinge, Steering Committee Chair

Tracy Crews, Project Manager Ruth McDonald, Partnership Liaison

July 31, 2015

1 Oregon Coast STEM Hub Final Report 2013-2015, 7/31/15

Table of Contents

3 Overview 4 Regional Needs and Assets in STEM 6 History of Regional/Local Collaboration for Youth 10 Hub Key Stakeholders and Governance 11 Backbone Structure 13 Oregon Coast Regional STEM Hub Structure 14 Equity 15 Hub Vision, Mission and Allied Collaboratives Mission Statement Vision Alignment with Other Regional Collaboratives

17 Hub Logic Model or Theory of Change Logic Model Diagram

18 Hub Strategies, and Goals for 2013-2015 and Beyond 19 Developing a Common Agenda 19 Mutually Reinforcing Activities 20 Common Measurement Systems 21 Continuous Communication 22 Increasing Partner Capacity 22 Sustainability 24 Hub Programmatic Activities and Outputs STEM Hub Development Community Engagement STEM related Professional Development Student STEM Activities Connecting to the World of Work Engaging Underrepresented Audiences 27 Hub Budget, Reallocations, Actuals 27 Hub Grant Evaluation 29 Outcomes and Impacts 30 Hub Challenges and Lessons Learned 31 Recommended Next Steps


Appendices 34 Appendix A - Budget Worksheet 35 Appendix B - Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Tables 1-5 50 Appendix C - Media Coverage 53 Appendix D - Demographics of partnering school districts - 2013 Oregon Report Card 55 Appendix E - Oregon Coast STEM Hub Partnership Plan 94 Appendix F - APLU Community Engagement Award Nomination Packet 113 Appendix G - Evaluation Report 131 Appendix H - STEM Student, Educator and Administrator Surveys

Page


Overview The Oregon Coast STEM Hub is an action-oriented partnership that engages multiple stakeholders and organizations along the Oregon Coast, working toward the common goal of increasing student interest, preparation, and success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in order to improve the lives of individuals and communities. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub defines concrete, measurable outcomes suited to the needs of coastal students and communities, while leveraging local resources and opportunities to achieve those outcomes. This community-based strategy embraces the view that education is a shared responsibility and that learning takes place in both formal and informal environments. Thus, Oregon Coast STEM Hub leverages the assets of schools, nonprofits, businesses, civic leaders, and others to drive innovation and improvements in STEM learning at a systems level. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has grown from a grassroots partnership that began with Lincoln County School District, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University. In 2006, the leaders of these organizations formed an informal partnership to use ocean science and coastal natural resources as a springboard and venue for delivering STEM learning experiences for students and professional development for formal and informal educators in Lincoln County. The Partnership received recognition with a Coastal America Presidential Award for Excellence in 2009. After several successful grant funded projects including a Title IIB Math and Science Partnership grant, the NOAA B-WET funded Oregon Coast Education Program (OCEP) and NOAA Marine Debris grant; the partnership expanded to include Tillamook School District and over twenty industry, government, nonprofit, and higher education partners. These partners received a second MSP grant focused on Project Based Learning and coastal environments, creating the Oregon Coast Regional STEM Center, the precursor to our current STEM Hub. The opportunity to expand along the entire coast and form a regional STEM Hub came along just as other coastal districts and partners saw the successes the original partners were accomplishing- increased local STEM learning opportunities for students and educators that will lead to more college and career ready coastal students, as well as higher student interest and motivation for STEM majors and careers. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub seeks to advance the STEM skills and career and college opportunities of all Oregon Coast students by utilizing local resources and issues as a means to engage students and contextualize learning. Our collective impact partnership now encompasses over 50 organizations, including 13 school districts, four coastal community colleges, and coastal businesses, industries, government agencies, and higher education partners.


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/partners


As this first year of our existence as a regional STEM Hub comes to a close, we have many successes to continue and some challenges to be addressed in the future. Eight more coastal districts and several new partners have requested to partner with our Hub. During the first year of existence, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub grew from a partnership of 23 organizations to a network of over 50 active partners. The STEM Hub convened a series of community meetings, conducted a needs assessment, developed a comprehensive Partnership Plan, created a Declaration of Cooperation amongst partners, and engaged more than 10,000 learners in a wide range of activities. As a result of the leadership and support of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, stakeholders in many regions along the Oregon Coast are experiencing positive momentum, establishing strong community partnerships and creating a culture shift. Impacts realized range from increased awareness of, access to and usage of existing resources, to increased collaboration amongst educators from different school districts. Over 500 educators have taken advantage of the twenty Professional Development (PD) opportunities that the Oregon Coast STEM Hub sponsored during the 2014-2015 school year, accounting for more than 3000 STEM, professional development contact hours. Furthermore, the STEM Hub supported the participation of an additional 25 Oregon Coast educators in STEM-related PD opportunities outside of our region. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub also provided support for 115 different student STEM experiences, including engineering competitions, STEM-related field trips and projects, STEM camps and community STEM nights. Regional Needs and Assets in STEM The Oregon Coast is a unique region compared to other areas of Oregon. With smaller population centers (<10,000 residents) all along the 365 mile long Pacific Coast Highway and east to the Coast Range, most towns are rural and have high poverty rates among children and families. Many of these rural communities are also centers for fairly large tribal and/or migrant populations. Of the 13 participating school districts along the Oregon Coast, 11 of 13 are below state averages for the percentage of all students meeting or exceeding academic benchmarks in mathematics, and 9 of 13 are below state averages in science, while only 5 of 13 are below state averages in reading. Additionally, 7 of the 13 districts are below the state average graduation rate, 10 of 13 are below the state average for post-secondary enrollment, and 8 of the 13 districts have a dropout rate higher than the state average. In analyzing the data by underrepresented groups, all districts report lower percentages in academic achievement in these populations than for their total population averages, and dropout rates for subgroups are higher (2013 Oregon Report Cards).


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Hub-docs/oregoncoastregionalstemhubpartnershipplan7-31-14.pdf

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Hub-docs/declaration-of-cooperation-8-31-14-final.pdf


Compared to the Portland metro area, the coastal region has limited large businesses and industries from which to draw support. Many STEM opportunities for Oregon students and educators occur along the I5 corridor, and the Coast Range and distance is often a barrier to access, particularly during the icy, winter months. The Coast STEM Hub focuses on STEM opportunities for students and is envisioned to align with and improve the economic opportunities in our region. The coast has a struggling economy whose recovery lags behind the more populous areas of the state. Once an economy strongly driven by timber and fishing, most coastal towns now survive on tourism and small business. However, we have a strong base of government and higher education employment related to STEM and natural resources, and newly developing areas of STEM research and industry to look towards for our students’ futures. The National Science Foundation funded Ocean Observing Initiative; research and development of wave, wind, and liquid natural gas energy; location of NOAA’s Marine Operations Center, and the planned development of Oregon State University’s new Marine Studies Initiative at Hatfield Marine Science Center are all significant opportunities for the growth of the coastal economy and jobs base. In addition, OHSU’s new Rural Health Care Initiative will have a satellite center in Coos Bay, providing a strong opportunity to connect coastal students to health care careers. In the Spring of 2014, we held a series of four community meetings along the coast to assess our current assets and future needs as regards STEM opportunities and experiences for K-14 students and educators. Meetings were held at the coastal community colleges, Clatsop Community College (CCC) in Astoria, Tillamook Bay Community College (TBCC) in Tillamook, Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC) in Newport, and Southwest Community College (SWOCC) in Coos Bay. Over 125 participants representing K-12 education, higher education, nonprofits, businesses, industries, government agencies, students, parents, and community groups attended and provided input. This asset mapping and needs assessment process revealed that although numerous assets exist in Oregon coastal communities that support STEM education, there appears to be a “disconnect” between many teachers and potential resources and partners. Potential partners don’t always understand teacher needs and constraints, and key information does not make it to the teachers in an efficient manner, thus resources that do exist are often underutilized. Current PD opportunities were not adequate to meet teachers’ needs, and in most schools inadequate support existed to integrate STEM effectively, and in most areas, students lacked out-of-school STEM opportunities and STEM career connections.



In order to collect additional information from K-12 educators regarding current practices, needs and preferred professional development format, an online survey was developed and distributed to all K-12 teachers through coastal school district superintendents. A total of 311 survey responses (approximately 26% of the 1200 Oregon Coast teachers) were received and information incorporated into the needs assessment from the community meetings. These teacher surveys identified many barriers and challenges that currently limit STEM education in coastal classrooms. These include the need for a common understanding of what STEM is and what STEM inclusion looks like. In addition, the need for PD on STEM/NGSS/CCSS integration at various grade levels was a common theme. In addition to training, teachers also reported they need access to STEM curriculum that is connected to the new standards they are now required to teach. Teachers also identified needing support from school boards, administration, and the community. History of Regional/Local Collaboration for Youth As described above, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has been able to leverage several existing partnerships, grants, and programs that were already serving Oregon Coast youth and educators. In the Coos County area, professional development opportunities for teachers and learning experiences for students were provided by the OCEP, funded by a series of NOAA B-WET grants that included Oregon Sea Grant, South Slough National Estuarine Reserve, Oregon Coast Aquarium, and other partners. A variety of informal education centers and museums exist along the coast, such as the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Tillamook Forest Center, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the HMSC Visitor Center, the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, Cape Perpetua, Umpqua Discovery Center, and Coos Historical and Maritime Museum, among others. These centers offer public and school programs and provide curriculum, teacher trainings, and equipment or kits that can be checked out by teachers. Siuslaw School District, Lincoln County School District, and NeahKahNie School District each have 21st Century Community Learning Center, STEM-focused after school programs. OSU Science & Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) programs in Toledo and Siletz (Native American focus), and an extensive 4-H presence along the coast also pre-existed. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) partners with Tillamook Bay Community College to run a Tech Trek STEM focused summer camp for 8th grade girls. In addition, Oregon’s Gear Up program, based at OSU, recently received funding to expand their presence in coastal communities and now serves students in Lincoln City, Newport, Bandon, Port Orford, and Reedsport. Existing Partnerships with the Marine Advanced Technology (MATE) Center at Monterey Peninsula College helped us start the Oregon Regional MATE Remotely



Operated Vehicle (ROV) program for students along the coast, and the support of the Hub has broadened student participation among coastal districts and in the entire state. The Bonneville Education Foundation and KidWind have partnered with us to provide teacher training in wind and solar energy and helped us develop the Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge for students. Lincoln County and Tillamook School Districts helped spearhead two successful U.S. Department of Education Title IIB MSP grants, from 2009- 2015. Tillamook School District also won a CTE Revitalization grant. These collaborative programs served to help establish many more STEM focused partnerships and was the foundation for our coastal hub that stresses using local natural resources as a platform for student STEM engagement and teacher professional development. We have also collaborated successfully with Portland State University (PSU) and Western Oregon University (WOU) to ensure that coastal teachers are participants in two new MSP grants, one at PSU for Elementary Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Specialists, and the other at WOU for Elementary Math Instructional leaders. Collaborations involving coastal community colleges were scarce prior to the formation of the Hub. However, there is an increased focus on strengthening these connections and making sure students know of the STEM opportunities available to them at coastal community colleges. Clatsop Community College (CCC) partners with Astoria, Seaside, and Warrenton-Hammond School Districts to provide introductory and intermediate classes to high school students at CCC's Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station (MERTS) and Integrated Manufacturing Technology Center (IMTC) campus. Tillamook Bay Community College (TBCC) has an Open Campus partnership with OSU and a focus on natural resources, while Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC) has a nationally unique Aquarium Science program offering both an Associate’s Degree and Certificate and is currently developing additional STEM focused offerings. OCCC also has a Nursing Program that has graduated over 140 Associates level nurses along with other Allied Health offerings. OCCC has also started an Early College program that offers free tuition college courses to college-ready high school students. Southwest Oregon Community College (SWOCC) offers applied science and culinary arts programs, and is currently developing additional STEM focused offerings for dual high school-college credit. They also offer several STEM associates degrees. In addition, SWOCC and CCC currently offer TRIO programs that aim to increase the number of low income and underrepresented students in higher education. These programs provide guidance and support for high school students transitioning into the world of Post-secondary education, addressing an important transition zone in the STEM career pipeline. TBCC currently has, and OCCC is developing Juntos, a program



designed to unify schools, families, and community efforts to prevent high school dropouts and promote student access to higher education through parental involvement http://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook/juntos-0

The Oregon Coast is also rich in education organizations with an environmental focus. The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP), South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR), Columbia River Estuary Studies Team (CREST), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), local watershed councils, and Surfrider Foundation are just a few examples. These organizations provide equipment, funding, staff, and specific authentic, contextual projects in which students and teachers can become involved. Numerous government agencies were also identified as assets in our region, many of which have primary responsibility for managing public areas and natural resources. Examples include: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the Marine Operations Center for the Pacific (MOC-P) with several research vessels; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Oregon Department of Forestry; United States Forestry Service (USFS); US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. These agencies have researchers and educators that provide assistance to teachers and students in the classroom and in the field. Many have curriculum resources, equipment, and locations for field experiences or monitoring and habitat restoration projects that students can become involved in.

Traditionally, businesses along the Oregon Coast have focused on fisheries, forestry, agriculture, tourism, and service industries. Even within these more traditional industries, technology continues to progress and play an increasingly important role. The Tillamook County Creamery Association, Georgia Pacific, and the Oregon Forestry Resources Institute (OFRI), including numerous timber companies, have been partnering with teachers and students along the coast in support of STEM education.

More recently, with the relocation of the NOAA MOC-P to Newport, the Ocean Observing Initiative (OOI), and development of offshore wind and wave energy, the marine technology industry is growing and is expected to continue this trend. Some current marine technology businesses include Point 97, Advanced Research Corporation, and The Sexton Corporation. These businesses work with teachers and students as mentors, and some are even able to provide paid internships and funding for student challenges. In addition, the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the Association of


http://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook/juntos-0


Unmanned Vehicles Systems (AUVSI) have partnered to support student activities, as has the Central Lincoln PUD and Near Space Corporation

Healthcare is also an increasingly important industry as coastal communities continue to grow and healthcare technology advances. Most coastal communities have hospitals and clinics specializing in everything from cancer treatment to pediatrics. The coast has an aging population and will see an increased need for healthcare. Lincoln County has just completed a new Health Education Center and voters approved a bond to build a state of the art new hospital. OHSU is locating a new regional, rural medicine center in Coos Bay.

Many coastal communities have ports or Economic Development Councils, such as the South Coast Development Council and the Central Coast Economic Development Alliance. These can help identify key businesses and industries to support STEM education and/or inform Hub participants about needs as they relate to workforce development and career readiness of coastal students. Several Oregon Coast schools have unique, engaging programs that serve as a resource to others looking to create similar programs. Examples of these are the Aquatic Sciences Program at Astoria High School and the Natural Resources Program in the Tillamook School District. Both programs excel at hands-on, project-based learning that involves community projects with numerous scientists and industry partners. Several schools along the coast are also involved in Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program with students conducting water quality monitoring, stream restoration, and even rearing juvenile salmon on their school grounds. These programs not only allow students to develop STEM skills but provide additional exposure to STEM-related careers. Several years ago Lincoln County School District (LCSD) launched an Ocean Literacy Initiative, aimed at utilizing existing natural resources and community partners to make LCSD students “the most Ocean Literate in the state, if not the nation.” To that end, every teacher was offered opportunities to participate in marine science related professional development as well as opportunities for their students to participate in field experiences. With the support of administration, many teachers have embraced the concept, developing their own unique, but often collaborative, projects and classes. One such example is Waldport High School, which currently offers classes in Ecotourism, Oceanography, and Marine Engineering.



Hub Key Stakeholders and Governance The Oregon Coast STEM Hub is composed of over 50 active partners from various sectors. These partners (listed below) have been involved in the development of the STEM Hub Partnership Plan, the Declaration of Cooperation, and in supporting STEM Hub activities. School Districts ● Astoria School District ● Warrenton-Hammond School District ● Seaside School District ● Neah-Kah-Nie School District ● Tillamook School District ● Nestucca Valley School District ● Lincoln County School District ● Siuslaw School District ● Reedsport School District ● Coos Bay School District ● North Bend School District ● Bandon School District ● Port Orford / Langlois School District

Post-secondary Education Institutions ● Clatsop Community College ● Oregon Coast Community College ● Oregon Institute of Marine Biology / U of O ● Oregon State University/Oregon Sea Grant ● PreCollege Programs at OSU ● Southwestern Oregon Community College ● Tillamook Bay Community College ● Western Oregon University

Community Organizations / NGOs ● American Association of University Women, Tillamook Chapter ● Central Oregon Coast Chapter, National Organization for Women ● Columbia River Maritime Museum ● Friends of Netarts Bay (WEBS) ● KidWind ● Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership ● Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators ● Oregon Coast Aquarium


http://www.astoria.k12.or.us/

http://www.warrentonschools.com/

http://www.seaside.k12.or.us/

http://www.nknsd.org/

http://www.tillamook.k12.or.us/

http://www.nestucca.k12.or.us/

http://www.lincoln.k12.or.us/

http://www.siuslaw.k12.or.us/site/default.aspx?PageID=

http://www.reedsport.k12.or.us/

http://cbd9.net/

http://www.nbend.k12.or.us/

http://www.bandon.k12.or.us/

http://www.2cj.com/

https://www.clatsopcc.edu/

http://www.oregoncoastcc.org/

http://oimb.uoregon.edu/

http://oregonstate.edu/

http://oregonstate.edu/precollege/

http://www.socc.edu/

http://www.tbcc.cc.or.us/

http://www.wou.edu/homepage/

http://www.aauw.org/

http://centraloregoncoastnow.com/

http://www.crmm.org/

http://www.netartsbaytoday.org/html/webs.html

http://www.kidwind.org/

http://www.estuarypartnership.org/

http://www.pacname.org/

http://www.aquarium.org/


● Oregon Museum of Science and Industry ● Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council ● Tillamook County Pioneer Museum ● Tillamook Estuaries Partnership ● Twin Rocks Friends Camp ● Westwind Stewardship Group

Industry/Business ● Advanced Research Corporation ● Central Lincoln PUD ● Georgia Pacific ● Marine Technology Society ● Near Space Corporation ● Point 97 ● Tillamook County Creamery Association

Government Agencies ● Bureau of Land Management ● National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ● Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ● Oregon Parks and Recreation Department ● South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve ● United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Centers and Institutes ● Hatfield Marine Science Center ● Marine Advanced Technology Education Center ● Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ● Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center ● Oregon Forestry Resources Institute ● Oregon Hatchery Research Center

Backbone Structure The Oregon Coast STEM Hub Backbone is a group of representatives from different organizations, rather than one organization or entity, but is physically hosted by Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub backbone currently serves to: 1. Build and maintain on-going relationships with STEM Hub partners and stakeholders

(K-12, higher education, informal education, industry, government and community


https://www.omsi.edu/

http://www.salmondrift.org/

http://www.tcpm.org/

http://www.tbnep.org/

http://www.twinrocks.org/

http://westwind.org/

http://oregonarc.com/

http://clpud.org/

https://www.gp.com/

https://www.mtsociety.org/

http://www.nsc.aero/

http://pointnineseven.com/

https://www.tillamook.com/

http://www.blm.gov/or/index.php

http://www.noaa.gov/

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/

http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/pages/index.aspx

http://www.oregon.gov/DSL/SSNERR/pages/index.aspx

http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/

http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/

http://www.marinetech.org/

http://www.mbari.org/

http://nnmrec.oregonstate.edu/

http://oregonforests.org/

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/OHRC/


partners). 2. Bring partners together on a regular basis to develop short and long-range plans for

the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. 3. Oversee the development and implementation of Oregon Coast STEM Hub-

sponsored programs. 4. Maintain STEM Hub online resources and create an asset map of STEM activities and

resources within the region that can be shared and promoted. 5. Collaborate with organizations and other STEM Hubs to match community resources

to educators needs. 6. Align STEM Hub activities with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation

Science Standards. 7. Build capacity of volunteers and mentors to provide meaningful experiences for

students, tied to learning outcomes. 8. Collect and analyze assessment data from Oregon Coast STEM Hub partners

and create evaluation reports on the effectiveness of STEM Hub programs in meeting goals.

The current structure of the backbone organization was formed to support both infrastructure and programming, and developed within a short time frame driven by the state funding cycle and a desire to quickly provide meaningful deliverables, primarily in the area of professional development and student experiences. The structure has been highly effective in that regard, as evidenced by the volume and quality of achievements described in this report. Now the Executive Committee will use the new (Draft) Regional STEM Hub Backbone Criteria provided by the STEM Investment Council along with other sources of feedback to redefine our backbone structure for strategic capacity to ensure the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is sustainable over the long run. Central to this new model is the creation of an Executive Director position to bring more focused attention to further developing strategic opportunities and partnerships. Currently the Hub has a .6 FTE Project Manager, .4 FTE Communications Coordinator, .2 FTE accounting support, .2 Partnership Liaison, .4 FTE Professional Development Facilitators, and two .2 FTE Satellite Coordinators (see diagram on following page). In addition, each district has at least one Mentor Teacher whose role it is to represent the Hub on a district level and ensure the local teachers and community partners are apprised of Hub sponsored opportunities. Satellite Coordinators and Mentor Teachers also serve to provide feedback on resources needed to support STEM activities in their school districts. As noted, this current design has combined backbone and programming. In the next grant cycle, staffing related to programming will be associated with the



programming grant commensurate with funding (from all sources) and level of programming delivered. After the Spring 2014 Community meetings, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub convened a Steering Committee to provide policy direction, leadership, and oversight advice to the Backbone personnel. This committee currently consists of 13 individuals representing K-12 education, higher education, industry/business, government, and nonprofit organizations. Since the STEM Hub covers a geographically dispersed area, every effort was made to obtain representation from all areas along the coast (North, Central and South), as well as from underrepresented groups (Native American, Hispanic, women.) Members serve renewable one-year terms. See the Oregon Coast STEM Hub website for the current list of Steering Committee members and their affiliations and the Steering Committee Roles and Responsibilities.



The Steering Committee meets quarterly and rotates the location of the meetings along the coast at each of the community colleges (Astoria, Tillamook, Newport, Coos Bay/North Bend.) Local STEM programs are highlighted at each meeting. Members who are unable to travel join through web-based, Zoom Video Conferencing. The Steering Committee appointed an Executive Committee that meets as needed between Steering Committee meetings. The role of the EC is to act in those areas where the Steering Committee delegates authority, and to provide additional guidance to STEM Hub staff and help address time-sensitive issues in between Steering Committee meetings. In addition, there are several sub-committees that include backbone personnel, Steering Committee members, and volunteers that help accomplish the work of the Hub. Currently, changes to the backbone organizational structure are currently being considered for the 2015-2017 biennium in light of the proposed addition of an Executive Director. One of our current challenges is that the backbone personnel serves the Hub for a fraction of their full time jobs, and are employed by partner organizations for the remainder of their time. Equity As previously stated, the majority of Oregon coastal communities are classified as rural and have higher poverty and homelessness rates among children and families than the state average (see diagram on next page). Many of these rural communities are also centers for fairly large tribal and/or migrant populations. Although the Oregon Coast STEM Hub backbone staff and Steering Committee have identified the need to engage these under-represented audiences, it has been a challenge reaching these groups. Representatives from these populations have been actively recruited as partners and as members of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Steering Committee. The Director of Indian Education for Siuslaw has recently joined the STEM Hub Steering Committee and has offered to help the STEM Hub connect with local tribal groups and advise on cultural considerations regarding future programming. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has also connected with the NW ESD Migrant Education Program and is supporting the integration of STEM activities into summer programs being offered in Astoria and Tillamook. Connecting with other programs serving Latino populations has also been identified as a priority, and will be facilitated via connections with the Juntos programs at TBCC and OCCC. Oregon Coast school districts also follow the trend of seeing decreasing pursuit of STEM activities by female students as they increase in age. To combat this issue, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub partnered with the Central Oregon Chapter of the National Organization for Women to increase mentoring opportunities for middle school aged



girls. STEM Hub partners also created a new two-day, program entitled Girls in Engineering and Marine Sciences. This program provided numerous opportunities for middle school girls to work with female marine science and engineering mentors. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub also hosted a community forum on Exemplary Practices for Engaging Girls in STEM. Participants in this event included informal and formal educators, female mentors, and high school girls. Input from the female high school students as they detailed their experiences and challenges reinforced the overarching need to create a culture shift around how females are viewed and treated by teachers as well as one another.



Hub Vision, Mission and Allied Collaboratives The core partners and backbone organizations that submitted the original Hub grant proposal developed the original vision and mission of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, with some additional input from stakeholders and partners that participated in the Spring 2014 Community asset and needs assessment meetings. Once formed, the STEM Hub Steering Committee provided additional feedback regarding the vision and mission, and tasked the Executive Committee with revising the current vision and mission to reflect larger community goals. The Executive Committee has been working on these revisions, and when completed, will submit their recommendations to the larger Steering Committee for approval. Mission Statement The Oregon Coast STEM Hub supports K-14 STEM education by collaborating with diverse partners and leveraging local and regional resources, to produce college and career-ready students who are equipped to meet current and future societal challenges. By utilizing evidence-based instructional practices, connecting in and out-of-school learning, facilitating effective communication amongst stakeholders, and mentoring students and educators, we seek to improve STEM educational opportunities for ALL students in our region. Vision The Oregon Coast STEM Hub engages K-14 educators and students along the Oregon Coast in world-class Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) experiences, inspiring and preparing students to be highly skilled employees and educated citizens capable of making informed decisions about global and regional issues. Alignment with Other Regional Collaboratives The region served by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub crosses the boundaries of multiple Regional Achievement Collaboratives and Early Learning Hubs. During the first year of operation, STEM Hub staff and core partners have connected with many of them. Alignment can be challenging for many regional collaboratives because the geographic boundaries served vary greatly. Counties are within one STEM Hub, a different RAC, a different ESD, and perhaps a different ELH. We are assisted in our efforts somewhat because several of the STEM Hub Steering Committee members also serve in leadership roles or on the Steering Committees of other collaboratives, but connections so far have not moved from relationships to alignment or partnering Future plans are to connect with these RACs and Early Learning Hubs in a more meaningful way, particularly as we expand our focus from K-14 to PreK-20.



Hub Logic Model or Theory of Change The Oregon Coast Regional STEM Hub will help establish a coherent, rigorous, and equitable system of STEM education for all students along the Oregon Coast. In addition, the Hub will help excite youth and parents about STEM education and STEM-related careers; link educators, parents and students to STEM-related educational opportunities; support the sharing of lessons learned and best practices among both formal and informal educators; and identify and create opportunities for industry and community partners to engage with teachers and students. The current Oregon Coast STEM Hub logic model outlines the Hub’s current activities, target audiences, and short, mid, and long-term outcomes. After the vision and mission are approved and as new data emerges, the logic model will change to reflect adjustments in STEM Hub strategies. Correspondingly, a new evaluation plan will be created to measure the outcomes.

Oregon Coast Regional STEM Education Hub– Logic Model

Ocean Literacy Initiative & Coastal Learning Symposium

Current LCSD /Tillamook MSP w/ STEM PBL focus

Current STEM teacher PD & student learning experiences

Community meetings with Collective Impact training, asset mapping, and needs assessment

Student engineering design activities and challenges

New partners engaged, Declaration of Cooperation created and approved

Oregon Coast STEM Hub office established at HMSC

Increased participation in STEM challenges/competitions

Coastal STEM Hub effective and sustainable

Other funding initiatives: Project SEAL, MATE-ITEST, NOAA Marine Debris, NOAA B-Wet, Mentor, Collaboration, 21st Century Learning Centers

INPUTS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

Teachers gain confidence in ability to teach STEM

Partnership plan developed, common measures agreed upon by education partners, steering and sub-committees formed and active

Increased student interest in STEM careers /activities

Project Goal: Form the Oregon Coast Regional STEM Hub consisting of diverse partners, focusing on marine and coastal natural resources, marine technology and engineering, to increase K-14 educators’ content and pedagogical knowledge and students’ interest and achievement in STEM subjects and STEM related careers

Activities Participation

Teachers incorporate STEM Careers in instruction

Short term (0-2 years) Mid term (2-4 years) Long term (4 years+)

Teachers employing technological enhancements recommended in trainings

Core + new partners, Hub Project Manager, Communications Coordinator, Consultant/facilitator

Partnership Plan, governance structure, evaluation plan, and website created

Mentor Teacher Training, Implementation Plan Development

2-day Coastal Learning Symposium

Hub PD Facilitators, PD Sub-committee, Project Manager, Core + New Partners, 300+ Oregon Coast Teachers

Oregon Coast STEM Hub recognized nationally

Increased enrollment in non-required science and math classes, increased science/math scores

Hub Project Manager, Communications Coordinator, Core + New Partners

Current local issues and dimensions: Wave Energy, Marine Reserves, Fisheries, Climate, Forests

Classroom integrated STEM instruction

Hub Partners, K-14 Educators and Students, Community Mentors

Increased parental support for in school and out-of-school STEM activities

Increased parental involvement in STEM

Hub PD Facilitator, Project Manager, Core Partners, Satellite Coordinators &18 Mentor Teachers

Mentors show increased commitment to K-12 outreach

Increased scientist, graduate and undergrad student participation in K-14

Established, long-term CORE partners: LCSD, TSD, OCAq, OSU, OSG, HMSC

Asset Mapping & Needs Assessments, Community Meetings & Teacher Surveys

Research: PLCs, Blended online-in-person model; PBL: Buck Institute, Model Classroom; Student STEM interest, Place based learning

Current Structure and partner commitments (LCSD CCRL, OCAq School Liaison, TSD TOSA, OSG personnel) STEM Hub office and

STEM resource trailers established

HMSC Director, OSG, Hub Backbone Staff STEM Hub Office and Resource

Center, Mobile STEM Labs created and utilized

STEM Hub integral part of HMSC and OSU’s MSI

Hub Partners, HS and CC students, Hub Manager

Hub Project Manager, Student Experiences Sub-committee, mentor teachers, K-14 students, Industry Mentors

Student Career Days and Internships

Hub Partners, Parents, Students Educators, Community Mentors

Community Science Nights/STEM Expos

Teachers introduced to community STEM Resources

Teachers gain skills in STEM integration and implementing PBLs into instruction

Teachers regularly accessing resources, increase science instruction time & field experiences for students

Industry mentors, community partners engaged & more effective

Hub Website Created linking partners & stakeholders to STEM resources

Number of students/diversity in STEM internships increases

Sustained community and parental support of STEM programs and activities

# of Teachers in Oregon coastal school districts implementing STEM and PBL into instruction increases

Mentor program growing and sustainable

Students more engaged, graduation rates increased

Network of Oregon Coast mentor teachers developed

Students increase proficiency in math and science, reflected in state/national test scores

Increased diversity in students pursuing STEM activities

Number of students and diversity of students pursuing post-secondary degree in STEM increases

Oregon Coast STEM jobs increasing , filled by local graduates

Students and teachers engaged in long-term citizen science/community projects

Oregon Coast teachers actively engaged in STEM leadership activities as mentors, PD facilitators, curriculum creators

Diverse group of partners working collectively to identify and address educator, student & community needs

CCSS, NGSS, & OELP

Teacher School Year PD



Hub Strategies, and Goals for 2013-2015 and Beyond The Oregon Coast STEM Hub theory of change aligns strongly with the overall state model, particularly as regards to increasing student engagement in STEM learning experiences, increasing students choosing to pursue Post-Secondary STEM courses of study and degrees, and increasing students prepared for our local workforce and economy. Our data will affirm that we are impacting thousands of coastal students and parents, hundreds of coastal educators, and numerous coastal businesses, industries, and government agencies. Funding in next biennium will allow us to reach even more coastal students and to improve our collective impacts at the college and career ready levels.

The long-term goals of the STEM Hub are to ensure that: ● Students have the knowledge, skills, experience, and motivation needed to enter

post-secondary education and high paying, in-demand careers in STEM-related fields.

● Oregon businesses and industries have access to an Oregon-educated STEM talentpool that is highly skilled and globally competitive.

● Oregon Coast schools and teachers have the tools and support needed to deliverworld class STEM instruction.

● Coastal Oregonians have the scientific literacy and technological knowledgeneeded to make informed decisions in their personal lives and as citizens to address increasingly complex and interconnected local, regional, and global issues.

Expected measurable outcomes include: 1. Increase STEM interest, participation, retention, and achievement for all K-14

coastal students including those from typically underrepresented populations inSTEM fields (ethnic minorities, females, English Language Learners, andeconomically disadvantaged)

2. Improve students’ 21st Century skills with a focus on critical thinking,communication and collaboration

3. Increase teachers’ ability to deliver integrated STEM instruction and studentexperiences that incorporate Inquiry, Project/Problem, and Field-Based Learning

4. Increased graduation rates and college readiness of Oregon Coast students.

As a Collective Impact Partnership, Oregon Coast STEM Hub resources have been leveraged in several strategic ways:

1. Professional Development: Providing PD for teachers and partners in effectiveinstructional practices focusing on STEM integration and Project BasedLearning

2. Student STEM Experiences: Supporting STEM learning experiences for K-14



students by providing connections to STEM professionals in the classroom and in the field, equipment and resources for carrying out STEM related activities, and opportunities to showcase student STEM projects

3. Networking: Creating a STEM network of resources, programs, and professionals to support STEM learning for students, including a website which serves as a conduit for connecting business and community resources with educators, parents and students

In addition to continuing supporting the strategies listed above, with the addition of an Executive Director, more effort will be focused on partnership development and sustainability. New strategies will develop around building capacity and identifying and addressing equity. Developing a Common Agenda Most businesses and school districts along the coast are relatively small with limited staff. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has struggled with engaging many of these entities since, despite their interest, many do not have the capacity to attend meetings on a regular basis. We have had to replace several of our Steering Committee members for this reason as well. We were also challenged to bring in stakeholders from underrepresented groups. By connecting with existing organization serving these groups, including Native American and Migrant students, we are making progress. Existing partners agreed on the common agenda in the original Partnership Plan and Declaration of Cooperation, which were based on the needs assessment and asset mapping process which occurred during the Spring of 2014. This agenda will be reviewed periodically in light of lessons learned and new data collected and adjustments made as needed. An additional goal has been set for broadening the STEM Hub Steering Committee, to reach audiences not currently represented. A robust Steering Committee of committed partners will help inform and move the common agenda forward. Mutually Reinforcing Activities The Oregon Coast STEM Hub supported a variety of PD and student activities during the 2014-2015 school year. Some activities were planned and coordinated by STEM Hub staff, while partners or contract facilitators provided others. Partners provided activities and were supported by Hub funding to expand their offerings to broader audiences or to increase STEM-related activities into current programs. Examples include OSU’s Center for Outreach in Science and Engineering for Youth (COSEY) Camps targeting underrepresented middle school students, Siuslaw Outdoor School/STEM Camp which serves Native American 5th and 7th graders, and NWESD Migrant Education summer school programs in Astoria and Tillamook.


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Hub-docs/oregoncoastregionalstemhubpartnershipplan7-31-14.pdf



In addition, the STEM Hub supported educator workshops that directly tied to student challenge events, 30 educators participated in a MATE ROV workshop in November 2014 at Waldport High School, where veteran teachers and students of the program taught participants how to build underwater robots with their students. A majority of the teachers who participated in the workshop went on to bring one or more teams to the Oregon Regional MATE ROV competition held on April 25th in North Bend. The STEM Hub also supported a KidWind workshop in Charleston in January, where educators learned about the proposed offshore wind energy farm and learned how to build model wind energy devices with their students. Educators were then able to bring teams of students to Hatfield Marine Science Center in April to compete in the Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge, and winning teams went on to compete at the KidWind Regional competition at OMSI in May. These competitions facilitated the integration of all STEM subjects as students formed teams or “companies,” researched an issue, designed and tested a device, created posters and gave presentations to a panel of engineering judges that came from various field of industry and research.

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub was also able to support Oregon Coast educators’ and student participation in activities hosted by other STEM hubs, as well as providing services to teachers and students from other regions as capacity allowed. For registration of workshops hosted by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, priority was given to Oregon Coast educators, but when space allowed, educators from other regions were also included. In addition, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub supported statewide participation in the Oregon Regional MATE ROV Competition this year (there was no costs to teams other than travel), despite the fact that half the teams that attended were from outside the region.

Common Measurement Systems Evaluation for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is occurring on multiple levels, by individual providers for specific programs, as well as the cumulative effects of reinforcing activities.

Some common measures used by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub include: ● Number of educators participating in STEM-related PD● Number of educators changing practice (implementing integrated STEM)● Number of hours spent teaching Science, Technology, and Engineering in K-6

classrooms● Number of students involved in voluntary STEM activities (Afterschool STEM

Programs, Camps, and Competitions)● Number of students taking advanced science and math coursework or STEM

electives



● Percentage of students meeting state benchmarks in science and math● High school graduation and college-going rates

The need for more effective evaluation plans and tools among partners has been recognized as many tools being used by individual programs are not as rigorous as they could be. Thus an Introduction to Evaluation workshop for partners has been planned and will be held at HMSC in July 2015 to introduce partners to evaluation tools and further assist in the development of more effective plans.

Continuous Communication The Oregon Coast STEM Hub partners recognized early on the need for effective communication, particularly in an area as geographically dispersed as the Oregon Coast. To facilitate communication, a part-time Communication Coordinator was employed, and a Communication Subcommittee was formed to assist the Communications Coordinator in developing a marketing plan, including appropriate messaging and identifying avenues for publicizing events and activities. This subcommittee also provides feedback regarding website structure and content, and suggests modifications to improve usability.

After soliciting feedback from core partners, the Communications Subcommittee, user groups, and the Communication Coordinator developed the Oregon Coast STEM Hub website, which is hosted by OSU. She also developed a Facebook page, blog, and e- newsletter to help facilitate communication amongst partners and stakeholders. The readership of these have increased over time with a corresponding increase in interaction by users (Likes, shares, posts, etc.) See Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 1 for more details and links to specific Communications activities and products.

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub website is intended to connect educators, students, parents, industry, and other community members to a vast network of community and online resources for supporting STEM education both in the classroom and out-of-school. In addition to connecting educators with PD, resources, and student opportunities, industry representatives can share internship opportunities, and parents can find STEM summer camps and afterschool activities. This website is envisioned to be a “one-stop” site for all coastal STEM stakeholders with an event calendar showing upcoming opportunities, access to the STEM Hub Facebook page and blog, and a wealth of resources to support students at all levels. The 19 district mentor teachers and satellite coordinators use these communication tools to help disseminate information at the school and district level to reach a broader audience.



In addition, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub contracted with a public relations specialist to produce multiple Public Service Announcements to be distributed to coastal radio stations. These PSAs were targeted toward different audiences (girls, parents, businesses) in an effort to increase awareness about the importance of STEM, as well as the presence of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub and its available resources. Increasing Partner Capacity Through the collective efforts of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, coastal communities are beginning to make strides in increasing STEM awareness, leveraging limited resources, strengthening existing partnerships, and developing new collaborative efforts to meet identified needs. The STEM Hub is able to support these goals by addressing identified barriers and connecting those with specific expertise and resources with those in need. This year, the Hub has leveraged additional partnerships with the OSU COSEY program to bring two middle school summer camps targeting underrepresented youth to the central and south coast, and developed a new program with OSU and the Oregon Coast Aquarium for a “Girls in Engineering and Marine Science” (GEMS) overnight camp with HMSC graduate students and faculty serving as role models for middle school girls. A new collaboration with Twin Rocks Camp in Rockaway Beach brought eight Family STEM nights to schools along the coast, engaging thousands of students and their parents in hands-on STEM activities. Student STEM projects were also highlighted at many of these community events. The Hub serves to empower partners to seek additional external funding for specific projects, and has expanded services available to coastal educators by partnering with Portland State University (PSU) and Western Oregon University (WOU) on their recently awarded MSP grants. The PSU MSP will prepare nine Oregon Coast STEM Hub elementary teachers to become instructional specialists in the Next Generation Science Standards, while the WOU MSP will prepare an additional 14 Hub K-8 teachers to be Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leaders. Several partner school districts and community colleges have received additional grant funding for afterschool STEM programs, teacher mentoring, and STEM Project Based Learning as a result of strong partnerships with the STEM Hub and OSU. In addition, Waldport High School is currently partnering with the Hub and other OSU staff to develop a high school career pathway that will lead to a scientific diving certification for participating students. Sustainability A number of partnering organizations currently contribute to the sustainability of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. Lincoln County School District contributed .10 FTE of its Partnership Liaison to work for the Hub, and has committed .20 of her FTE for 2015-



2017. Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center provides free office space and utilities as a match for the grant as well as free space to hold meetings, professional development workshops and for student activities (science fairs, student STEMposium, Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge, career day events, etc.). OSU has also provided match of staff time for dozens of employees, including numerous researchers, with an estimated value of over $50,000. Partnering with other OSU Programs and staff has allowed the Oregon Coast STEM Hub to provide services to teachers and students in our region with little cost to the STEM Hub, and no cost to participants. See budget sheet in Appendix A for total partner match.

Other partners (Oregon Coast Aquarium, Tillamook School District, Lincoln County School District, Coos Bay School District, Astoria School District, Clatsop Community College, Oregon Coast Community College) have also provided space for STEM Hub meetings, PD, student activities, and community STEM events at no cost. Many other partners have also provided free trainings and equipment to help support educators in implementing STEM activities in their classrooms and in the field.

A Sustainability sub-committee was formed by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub to identify other potential sources of funding and provide guidance. Acquiring an Executive Director for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub was identified as a priority, and key to sustaining the work of the Hub, as existing backbone staff do not have the time to invest in grant writing and new partnership development to the extent needed to achieve sustainability.

During the 2013-2015 biennium, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has leveraged several other funding sources to help support programming for programs and events, such as the Oregon Regional MATE ROV training and competition, the Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge, StreamWebs and Stormwater Pathways workshops, and Community STEM Nights. In addition, over 150 mentors gave on average 12 hours each to help support STEM Hub activities. The value of this time is conservatively figured at over $40,000.

Summer and Fall 2015 activities have been planned and rely heavily on partnerships and leveraged funds, while funding for the STEM Hubs remains undefined. Examples of activities include an Introduction to Evaluation workshop run by Oregon Sea Grant, a SeaGlide workshop funded by Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and an OSU Precollege Program mini-grant, and a teacher workshop on Climate Change run by OSU STEPs program.



Discussions around partner contributions towards sustainability of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub have recently gained momentum. During the 2014-2015 academic year, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub funded the participation of Mentor teachers from each school district. One step towards sustainability would be asking participating school districts and other partners to provide their own STEM Hub liaison to represent their district and assist with communication. The actual cost of these liaisons would be the responsibility of each partner rather than the responsibility of the STEM Hub itself.

Hub Programmatic Activities and Outputs During the first year of existence, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub directly engaged more than 2000 learners in a wide range of activities, including the COASTALearning Symposium, a multi-day PD event that involved approximately 350 Oregon Coast educators. To date, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has supported activities in thirteen school districts, as well as Clatsop Community College, Twin Rocks Friends Camp, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State Parks, Oregon Coast Community College, and the Oregon institute of Marine Biology.

STEM Hub Development From pulling together core partners to function as the Hub backbone, to engaging new partners in developing the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Partnership Plan and Declaration of Cooperation, the Hub has been working to create a strong Collective Impact Partnership to serve coastal communities. Progress to date includes establishing a physical presence with an office at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center; an online presence through the Oregon Coast STEM Hub website, Facebook page, and blog; and a network of engaged community members and Mentor Teachers. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has grown from a handful of partners with a common vision to a functioning STEM Hub offering a variety of STEM-related programs and resources for students, educators, and community partners from Astoria to Port Orford. See Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 2 for additional details.

Community Engagement The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has supported a number of activities designed to increase community engagement. From community engagement meetings along the coast, which helped launch the STEM Hub, to a series of STEM nights at coastal schools designed to engage parents and families. Oregon Coast STEM Hub partners participated in a “STEM Pub” hosted by the Oregon Coast Community College’s Small Business Development group, reaching over 30 business and industry representatives. The STEM Hub also hired a contractor to create radio and video PSAs to help promote the STEM Hub and



associated activities along the Oregon Coast. See Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 3 for a list of specific community engagement activities.

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub was also nominated this year by Oregon State University for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) national Community -University Engagement Award (Appendix F).

STEM-Related PD The Oregon Coast STEM Hub supported a large variety of STEM-related PD this year, some of which was provided by Hub staff, some provided by Hub partners or external facilitators. PD opportunities were held in different locations along the coast and online when possible to allow for greater participation. PD addressed specific needs identified in the original needs assessment conducted in the Spring of 2014, as well as ongoing feedback provided by mentor teachers. Materials to support the implementation of PD activities with students were also provided. See Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 4 for more details.

Student STEM Activities Over one-hundred different student STEM activities were supported by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub this year. From field trips to competitions, they all had similar goals: engage students in integrated STEM activities, thus increasing knowledge, skills and interest in STEM. Some activities had explicit connections to STEM-related careers, while others specifically targeted underrepresented audiences. See Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 5 for a complete list of student activities and links to news stories.

Connecting to World of Work The Oregon Coast STEM Hub engaged in several activities to student to the works of work. Oregon Coast STEM Hub staff, four high school teachers, and 25 high school students attended the Marine Technology Summit, held in Newport on Oct 21 and 22. Students attended sessions, helped staff an exhibitor’s table displaying their ROV, and participated in two “Speed Networking with Students” sessions, which connected Waldport High School students enrolled in Oceanography and Ocean Engineering classes with professionals who shared advice about careers in marine technology.

In another example, 130 coastal high school students attended a STEM Careers Investigation program at Hatfield Marine Science Center in early April. Participants spent the day with researchers, resource managers, aquarists, and the OSU dive officer participating in field work, data collection, and learning about a variety of career options.



Engineering design challenges including the Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge and the Oregon Regional MATE ROV Competition further connected students with industry mentors as students formed teams or “companies”, designed and built devices for real-world applications, created posters to market their designs, and gave presentations to engineering judges. A total of 300 students participated in these activities during the 2014-2015 school year.

Approximately 1500 K-8 students participated in three coastal STEM fairs supported by the STEM Hub. Hub staff recruited over 80 community and industry mentors from coastal communities to visit classrooms weekly to help students with their projects, mentor orientations, and culminating public events were open to the public, drawing over 2000 individuals.

Engaging Underrepresented Audiences The Oregon Coast STEM Hub is committed to providing additional activities targeting those students in our region underrepresented in STEM, including girls, Latino/Latina students, and Native Americans. Descriptions of programs targeting these audiences can be found below.

● The Central Oregon Chapter of the National Organization for Women (an OregonCoast STEM Hub partner organization) sponsored several all-girl teams for theMATE ROV program, recruiting female industry mentors in the classroom andproviding funding to support activities.

● Oregon Sea Grant, HMSC and the Oregon Coast Aquarium teamed up to createGEMS: Girls in Engineering and Marine Science, a 2-day camp for middle schoolgirls in April. Twenty-seven 7th and 8th grade girls were mentored by femalegraduate students and faculty from OSU, learning about a variety of STEMcareers and the technology they employ, as they designed and built underwaterrobots, light traps, tags, and wind energy devices.

● With support from the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, two separate groups of coastalgirls traveled to Sonia Kovalevsky Mathematics Day at WOU in Monmouth onFeb 28th, and Discovering the Scientist Within at OSU in Corvallis on March 7th.

● Tech Trek campers from the Tillamook Program will be spending a day atHatfield Marine Science Center this summer, where they will learn about avariety of careers and participate in hands-on activities. Tech Trek is anationwide STEM camp for 8th grade girls that is run by OSU Open Campus inpartnership with Tillamook Bay Community College and the AmericanAssociation of University Women (AAUW).





● The STEM Hub worked with Siuslaw School District staff to integrate STEMactivities into the week-long Outdoor School Camp for all 5th and 7th grades, alarge portion of which are Native American.

● The STEM Hub is supporting the Northwest ESD’s Migrant Education programsummer activities in Astoria and Tillamook, funding equipment for STEM-related activities and fieldtrips.

Hub Budget, Reallocations, Actuals (See Budget worksheet in Appendix) All grant funds will be expended by September 30, 2015. $601,894, or 90.6% of the total $664,170 grant was expended by June 30, 2015. $62,276 was approved for a summer activities ADVANCE. Several budget reallocations were completed during the course of the grant period. Several budget code categories were not originally budgeted, and later funds were coded with the appropriate accounting code. For example, the original budget lumped all equipment as supplies and materials code 410, but many materials were found to be non-consumable and should properly have been coded 460. Thus, negative balances are shown in this category and in computer software and hardware.

Staff salaries and benefits from LCSD were lower than budgeted due to 1) PERS costs for Fiscal support personnel lower than budgeted due to 6 months waiting period of new employee and 2) a delay in hiring fiscal employee. Student travel was significantly lower than budgeted, since most districts covered reimbursable student transportation. These funds were reallocated to non-consumable supplies for the area resource trailers. Funds were budgeted for travel and also separately for state required meetings, however, nearly all travel was charged to code 341. A slight balance of $937 was reallocated to 460. With the addition of summer work to assist with this report, evaluation services were increased by $1,500. Funds in the amount of $37,635 were moved from 410 to 460, again to accurately categorize non-consumable materials from consumable. Finally, indirect costs of the fiscal agent and partner districts were $5,533 lower than anticipated due to a lower approved indirect rate for 2014-2015.

Hub Grant Evaluation When first launched in the spring of 2014, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub hired a facilitator to help run a series of community meetings along the coast to help with the formative assessment that would inform the STEM Hub partnership plan, including our vision, mission, goals, and strategic initiatives. These community engagement meetings introduced the Collective Impact Model utilized by the Hub and included asset mapping and needs assessment for Oregon coastal communities from Astoria to Brookings. Over 120 stakeholders attended these meetings representing K-20 education providers, community service groups, parents, natural resource management agencies, and various industries. In addition, an online survey for K-12 educators was developed and



distributed to coastal teachers, resulting in input from another 311 individuals. Data collected through this process was the basis for the STEM Hub Partnership Plan and Declaration of Cooperation and additional input from stakeholders continues to drive the expansion of existing programs, as well as the development of new ones.

During the first year of operation, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub employed contract evaluators to help create and implement evaluation tools, analyze data, and produce an evaluation report which will be reviewed by the Steering Committee and posted on the STEM Hub website for public review. Existing student, teacher, and administrator surveys that have been validated were used as the basis of this evaluation to collect baseline data on attitudes, existing practices, and policies. STEM Hub mentors, coordinators, and superintendents of partnering school districts are be responsible for the actual dissemination of teacher and student surveys and collection of school-related data/statistics. The complete evaluation report can be found in Appendix G.

Based on the teachers who completed the Teacher Survey at the end of the academic year, the STEM Hub showed an increase in the number of teachers who reported having access to coaching or mentoring. For K-5th grade teachers, only 24% reported they had coaching or mentoring in the three years prior to the 2014-‐2015 school year while 46% reported they had coaching or mentoring in the current year. This trend was similar for 6th-‐12th grade teachers, where 33% reported they had coaching or mentoring in the three years prior to the 2014-‐2015 school year and 48% reported they had coaching or mentoring in the current year. How much of the increase in mentoring was due to direct involvement in the STEM Hub was not discernible from survey results.

A survey directed towards partners who received financial support from the STEM Hub for PD and student activities was also developed to collect additional data on audiences served, outcomes and impacts of specific activities, partnership development and leveraged resources. The student activities funded by the STEM Hub spanned grades K-12 with one experience for community college students.

The student activities that were reported on through this survey served 10706 K-14 students. The largest number of students reached was in the K-5th grade range, with a total of 7727 students reportedly impacted. Of the Hub-funded STEM-related student activities, 25% were continuations of activities teachers had previously implemented with their students, 40% represented expansions of an existing activity, and 35% were new STEM programs and activities.

Individual surveys of PD participants were also completed and made available by providers for the majority of Hub supported PD. Overall, some recurring themes emerged



from surveys completed by educators following PD opportunities. Participants appreciated hands-on learning during the PD events and the resources available through the PD providers. At the end of multiple PD opportunities, participants also reported gaining ideas for STEM implementation in the classroom and the integration of STEM subjects. Information gathering and sharing among partners is a large component of the STEM Hub mission and success. Evaluation of the STEM Hub partnership development and programs is critical in tracking continued progress and impacts. The Hub will continue to work with evaluators and researchers to identify effective tools, train partners in their use, and provide results to the statewide network and other audiences. Outcomes and Impacts During the first year of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, existing partnerships were deepened and new partnerships were developed at the local and regional level. Impacts during this initial time frame have ranged from increased awareness of, access to and usage of existing resources, to increased collaboration amongst educators from different school districts. Existing programs have been expanded to meet identified needs and new programs targeting underrepresented audiences have been created where programs did not exist. We have seen an increase in the level of engagement by teachers, students, and mentors as well as buy-in from school district administration.

By connecting K-12 teachers with researchers, there has also been an increase in the number of researchers developing funding proposals with broader impacts that include the use of K-12 student collected data, the creation of K-12 curriculum, and the development of teacher workshops. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub also provides ample opportunity for graduate students and other researchers to serve as mentors and/or conduct research on the effectiveness of STEM programs. Initial STEM Hub asset mapping and needs assessment revealed an underutilization of existing resources and a feeling of isolation experienced by many partners. Most school districts along the Oregon Coast are small, widespread districts in economically depressed areas, some with combined Jr./Sr. high schools served by one science teacher. As a result, collaboration with peers is difficult and individual school districts have neither the funding nor expertise to provide STEM-related PD for their employees. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub has been fostering collaboration within and among these districts by providing effective PD and funding release time and travel to staff to attend these events. As educators are coming together at these venues, they are developing relationships based on common goals and needs, forming their own informal Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to further share best practices and resources.



Just one example of this is a Robotics focused PLC that was formed by a number of Oregon Coast teachers following their attendance at a Hub sponsored Remotely Operated Vehicle workshop. These teachers have been meeting in person and remotely to share ideas and expertise and are planning an upcoming teacher workshop on how to build Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with students, which will be available to other STEM hub educators.

Hub Challenges and Lessons Learned One of the greatest challenges in the formation and implementation of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has been coordinating the involvement of so many diverse partners, spread over a large geographic area. Participation in most meetings and some PD has been made more accessible through the use of software such as Zoom, which allows face to face interaction from remote locations. The creation of area coordinators and the recruitment of mentor teachers from each school district have further enabled the STEM Hub to remain connected and responsive to the needs of teachers and students along the Oregon Coast.

Another challenge has been maintaining the capacity to accomplish all of the identified STEM Hub goals within a limited timeframe. To date, the structure of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has been composed of part-time staff of Hub partners who still retain responsibility for additional duties associated with their respective organizations. STEM Hub staff are providing administrative support, but are responsible for a large portion of STEM Hub programming as well. These time constraints have resulted in limited capacity to focus on strategic planning, long-term sustainability, greater partnership development and grant writing, all of which are needed to move the STEM Hub forward. Core partners and the STEM Hub Steering Committee have identified the need for an Executive Director to help address some of these issues.

Recognizing that community partnerships along the Oregon Coast are at different stages, and that school districts in these areas have different resources and needs to be prioritized, STEM Hub staff worked with educational partners in each coastal area to develop their own “Implementation Plans”. Like the STEM Hub Partnership Plan, these plans are expected to be fluid and allow partners to customize approaches for accomplishing identified goals, with the intent that they be periodically reviewed and revised as needed.

It has become apparent this year that some school districts are more engaged in the STEM Hub than others. Making time to meet with individual superintendents, school administrators and school boards should be a priority to identify barriers and increase engagement and future support needed for sustainability. We are also well aware that to



fulfill our mission, we must more fully engage in meaningful ways with STEM stakeholders beyond the school districts. Recommended Next Steps The Oregon Coast STEM hub is carefully considering strategic needs for the successful continuation of the regional collaborative beyond the next biennium. As part of these conversations the Executive Committee of the hub has identified four key focus areas for the next two years (while we also continue fulfilling our mission of advancing STEM awareness and education). In order to assure the long-term success of the hub, we must in the short term, focus on opportunity development, “mapping the landscape,” continued partnership development, and sustainability in both our financial and organizational models. Focused emphasis on these strategic initiatives over the next two years will allow the Hub to continue for many years to come and expand upon the successful models we have developed over the last several years. These strategic focus areas inform the development of our next phase in organizational design. In the past year, the development of key strategic initiatives for the long-term success of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub has been constrained by limited staff balancing the short-term implementation of programming with the needed strategic collective impact facilitation. For example, the current Program Manager is also the Student Learning Experiences Coordinator. Balancing the need for strategic development with front-line implementation has proven difficult and resulted in unreasonable demands on partners time. Thus, our Steering Committee has agreed that our backbone structure will need revision and reorganizing for the next biennium. This will include establishing an Executive Director (ED). Under the direction of the Steering Committee, the ED will lead the backbone staff to develop the models, partnerships, opportunities and return on investment that will ensure the long-term viability of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. Backbone redesign includes reworking other positions such as the regional coordinators based on geographic need and strategic priorities. The new staffing model will also consider what aspects of communications are infrastructure and belong in the backbone, and what aspects of communications are related to promoting programming. With the communications infrastructure of the Website, Facebook and Wiki in place, more consideration can be given to communications areas not previously fully leveraged, such as public relations and connecting with industry. This new structure will allow increased partnership development, community engagement, aligned focus along the coast, more engagement with underrepresented groups, and more interaction and alignment with regional and state groups with similar STEM or economic development interests.



Another area of development will be the enhancement of our evaluation plan to include a focus on measuring the impact on the partners and the effects of the hub beyond the k-12 systems. An external evaluator will be contracted to help analyze partnership development and document long-term impacts of the STEM Hub on coastal communities. Based on our success with program implementation, we will continue to coordinate and promote additional STEM-related opportunities for teachers, students, and parents. Depending upon the availability of funding, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub also plans to continue and potentially expand successful programs, seeking funds elsewhere. Additional school districts have indicated interest in engaging with our regional efforts. Another area for further engagement is with post-secondary partners. The first cycle of our grant had focused more on STEM programming within K-12 education. We intend to strengthen connections with and between post-secondary STEM programs and the coastal community colleges, Universities, and employers, as well as Early Learning and afterschool providers. Moving towards greater financial sustainability, we will further apply our strategy of first demonstrating value and then asking for matching investment. For example, during the first year of the STEM Hub we provided a great deal of programming and services to school districts at no cost to them. Now that these districts have an understanding of what the STEM Hub can contribute, we will ask school districts to provide matching resources such as mentor teachers or substitute pay for participation in professional development activities. This same model can be applied with industry, with a focus on demonstrating value to employers in the next grant cycle so that we will be justified in seeking their funding support in the future. We will also continue to ensure that the composition of the Steering Committee is effective and reflects the Hub mission and collective impact model. This means ensuring that underrepresented groups are present, that industry is there, that we have geographic representation, and also that key partners willing to contribute resources are present and engaged as part of the Steering Committee. Continued development of a robust and engaged Steering Committee is another area where a full-time Executive Director will be helpful. In summary, our next steps are those of strategic positioning to achieve our new focus areas, in the process of which we will take steps to overcome the challenges of the past.



Appendices Appendix A - Budget Worksheet Appendix B - Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Tables 1-5 Appendix C - Media Coverage Appendix D - Demographics of partnering school districts - 2013 Oregon Report Card Appendix E - Oregon Coast STEM Hub Partnership Plan Appendix F - APLU Community Engagement Award Nomination Packet Appendix G - Evaluation Report Appendix H - STEM Student, Educator and Administrator Surveys


Oregon Coast STEM Hub Final Report 2013-2015, 7/31/15 34 Oregon Coast STEM Hub Final Report 2013-2015, 7/31/15

Appendix A - Budget Worksheet


Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 1 □ Interim Data X FINAL Date: 7/31/15Strategy/Initiative: Promoting Effective Communication Connects to: X Student engagement X Student access/equity X Student aspirations □ Student academics X Connecting to World of Work X Educator effectiveness □ Effective Learning Environments (Classroom, program, district, administration) X Community support for STEM X Stakeholder engagement X Collective Impact Backbone administration X Partner Capacity and Commonality X Sustainability Outcome and/or Impact for this Strategy/Initiative: Increased interaction amongst partners and stakeholders and among educators from other school districts lead to greater understanding and use of current STEM resources. STEM resources gathered in one place for easier access and rate of dissemination of resources and opportunities increased.

Activities: Outputs (e.g., participants, products,…) Quality Indicators

Oregon Coast STEM Hub Website Development

Social Media Presence

Establishment and use of area coordinators and mentor teachers

Resources for educators, students, parents, and partners housed on accessible website

Dissemination of ongoing and upcoming activities, best practices, and funding opportunities through Facebook; opportunities highlighted and stories told through Blog

19 mentors from participating school districts recruited and selected to act as links to educators and local partners

15,541 Page Views, of those 49% are return users and 51% are new users

Facebook average weekly post reach 1800; Blog-1399 Sessions (40% of visitors returning, 60% new)

Mentor teachers actively engaged in recruiting peers


Appendix B - Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Tables 1-5

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/

https://www.facebook.com/OregonCoastSTEM

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/educators/mentor-teachers


Creation of Communications and Marketing Subcommittee

PSAs

News Releases

E-blast

Meeting notes

Wikis

Marketing Plan created and implemented

5 Public Service Announcements created and distributed targeting various audiences

Ten news releases produced and distributed by STEM Hub highlighting STEM Hub sponsored activities

Monthly electronic newsletters sent to over 500 individuals

Steering Committee and Sub-committee notes posted on website

Wiki sites created for Steering Committee and Mentor Teachers for sharing pertinent information

Visibility of STEM Hub and activities increased

Multiple stories picked up by coastal news sources

40% opened by recipients each month

Increased transparency and communication with those not on the Steering Committee

Venue established for internal communication/discussion

Comments/Context:


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/about-us/committees


Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 2 □ Interim Data X FINAL Date: 7/31/15Strategy/Initiative: Develop Oregon Coast STEM Hub Structure

Connects to: □ Student engagement □ Student access/equity □ Student aspirations □ Student academics □ Connecting to World of Work □ Educator effectiveness □ Effective Learning Environments (Classroom, program, district, administration) X Community support forSTEM X Stakeholder engagement X Collective Impact Backbone administration X Partner Capacity and Commonality X Sustainability Outcome and/or Impact for this Strategy/Initiative: Oregon Coast STEM Hub backbone organization is identified; mentor teachers recruited and engaged; STEM Hub is fully established and functioning.


Oregon Coast STEM Hub established at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center

Steering Committee formed with geographic and sector representation

Sub-committees for Professional Development,

Hub office established and operational

14 members from k-12, post secondary, nonprofit and industry meet quarterly

Cross-sector participation in sub-committee

Hub office provides place for contact, resource management, meetings, PD and student experiences

Majority of members attend meetings, are actively engaged and provide input

Sub-committees regularly advise


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/about-us/committees


Student Experiences, Sustainability, Evaluation, and Marketing established

Partnership Plan developed

Declaration of Cooperation (DOC) created

Executive Committee formed

meetings

Partnership plan based on community meetings and partner input developed in July 2014

Each partner identifies their role and contribution to STEM Hub; August 2014: DOC Signed by 45 partners, including 13 school districts, 4 community colleges, and numerous community, government, industry partners

Executive committee established to provide additional input on time sensitive issues; monthly meetings

backbone staff and steering committee

Positive feedback from existing partners; interest to join expressed by several new partners

Partners honor DOC, providing services, leveraging resources

Executive Committee functioning, pursuing Executive Directorship

Comments/Context:


oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Hub-docs/oregoncoastregionalstemhubpartnershipplan7-31-14.pdf

oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Hub-docs/oregoncoastregionalstemhubpartnershipplan7-31-14.pdf



Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 3 □ Interim Data X FINAL Date: 7/31/15Strategy/Initiative: Increase Community Engagement Connects to: X Student engagement X Student access/equity X Student aspirations □ Student academics X Connecting to World of Work □ Educator effectiveness X Effective Learning Environments (Classroom, program, district, administration) X Community support for STEMX Stakeholder engagement □ Collective Impact Backbone administration X Partner Capacity and Commonality X Sustainability Outcome and/or Impact for this Strategy/Initiative: Involvement of community/industry mentors in Oregon Coast school districts increased with over 150 mentors actively engaging in student STEM activities. Awareness of STEM increased through community outreach events, marketing campaign, media coverage.


Oregon Coast Community Engagement Meetings

Community Engagement in Student STEM Experiences

Working with Community Partners Webinar

STEM/STEAM Community Events

125 participants representing broad sector involvement attended four community meetings in Astoria, Tillamook, Newport and Coos Bay in April and May 2014; resulted in Asset Mapping and Needs Assessment

Over 150 mentors participated in Science Fairs, ROV Competition, Renewable Energy Challenge, and Marine Technology Summit Speed Networking sessions with students

26 educators and 9 community partners participated

Over 4000 people reached through community STEM events including Marine Science Day; OCCC STEM Pub; STEM Nights (Tillamook,

Partners self identified at community meetings, made initial commitments that led to Declaration of Cooperation

Positive feedback from participants. Commitments for continued and additional support obtained.

Resources incorporated into classroom and field activities

An estimated 4000 individuals introduced to STEM Hub; awareness



PSAs

Public Presentations

STEM Hub E-blast, Facebook, Blog

Nomination of STEM Hub for Community Engagement Award

Siuslaw, North Bend, Waldport, Coos Bay) http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/north-bend-students-get-hands-on-science-tech-experience/article_1bfc7c8d-f8df-5603-a8b3-299c42a0a738.html STEM Week + other PSAs directed at specific audiences created and released

Presentations to HMSC community, Youth Development Councils, RACs, NAME, NMEA, SGEN, OSU YOL, + radio interviews

34 STEM Hub blog posts http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/ ; Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/OregonCoastSTEM ; Monthly e-blast http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/1505-e-blast.pdf

STEM Hub nominated by OSU for National Community Engagement Award (APLU) - see Appendix F of this report

and support increased

Level of STEM awareness increased

37% of blog posts contributed by partners and teachers highlighting successes; Facebook page has active following with average weekly post reach of over 1300


http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/hub-happenings

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/1505-e-blast.pdf


Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 4 □Interim Data X FINAL Date: 7/31/15

Strategy/Initiative: Effective STEM-related Professional Development

Connects to: X Student engagement X Student access/equity □ Student aspirations X Student academics X Connecting to World of Work X Educator effectiveness X Effective Learning Environments (Classroom, program, district, administration) X Community support for STEM □ Stakeholder engagement □ Collective Impact/BackboneX Partner Capacity and Commonality X Sustainability

Outcome and/or Impact for this Strategy/Initiative: Educators increase STEM knowledge, skills and resources to effectively integrate STEM into their classrooms/programs.

Activities Outputs (participants/products) Quality Indicators

COASTALearning Symposium

Approximately 350 K-‐12 formal and informal educators participated in this two-‐day Professional Development event

117 participants surveyed Average responses rating: The content of sessions = 4.06 Quality of the presentations = 3.99 On a five point scale, 5=excellent



ROV Workshop 30 6th-12 grade educators plus six student mentors http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2014/11/19/teachers-dive-stem-using-underwater-robots/

Average rating of usefulness of the training is 4.84 on a five point scale (N=28) Majority of attendees implemented program with students and many brought teams to the statewide ROV competition.

Working with Community Partners Webinar

26 educators plus 9 presenters from community partners Many educators utilized resources identified in the webinar during the 2014-2015 school year

KidWind Workshop 25 teachers from eight coastal school districts Majority of participants implemented curriculum in classroom, some brought teams to Renewable Energy Challenge

NGSS 35 informal and formal educators Participants in this workshop found Collaboration time, how to access information, and examples particularly impactful and relevant.

StreamWebs 12 educators Overall effectiveness of the workshop rates as 3.5 (4=Excellent) Participants’ average response was


http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2014/11/19/teachers-dive-stem-using-underwater-robots/


3.8 when asked “How likely are you to use workshop resources and activities with your students?” (4=Very Likely)

Stormwater Pathways-OCEP

16 3rd-12th grade educators http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/02/25/stormwater-pathways/

73% of surveyed participants Agreed and 20% strongly agreed that the workshop contributed to their confidence in using NGSS.

Private Eye 66 educators attended one of two workshops offered Average ratings for workshops (N=60): Content = 3.88 Structure = 3.61 Value = 3.88 On a four point scale (4=Excellent)

Picture Perfect Science Lessons

50 elementary teachers participated in one of two online courses offered

Many participants utilizing resources/ implementing activities in classrooms. At least one school district has decided to adopt the curriculum district wide

Spotlight on STEM Webinars

A total of 92 participants attended the four webinars designed to connect educators with STEM researchers/industry

Average survey responses:


http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/02/25/stormwater-pathways/


Vernier 10 6th-12th grade educators Content of the workshop = 4.36 Quality of the presentations = 4.36 Value of the knowledge = 4.0 On a five point, 5=excellent

Engaging Girls in STEM 16 attendees (6 students, 3 afterschool providers, 3 NOW members, 2 informal educators, 2 HS teachers)

Surveys from provider not made available

Afterschool STEM Curriculum

35 informal and K-12 educators Surveys from provider not made available

Growing Up WILD PD 27 PreK-3rd grade educators attended this two day workshop Surveys from provider not yet available

Support of other STEM-related PD

25 educators received support in the form of travel funds and/or workshop fees to attend STEM PD from other providers

Comments/Context:



Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact Table 5 □ Interim Data X FINAL Date: 7/31/15

Strategy/Initiative: Contextualized, student-centered STEM learning experiences

Connects to: X Student engagement X Student access/equity X Student aspirations X Student academics X Connecting to World of Work □ Educator effectiveness X Effective Learning Environments (Classroom, program, district, administration) X Community support for STEM X Stakeholder engagement □ Collective Impact Backbone administration X Partner Capacity and Commonality X Sustainability

Outcome and/or Impact for this Strategy/Initiative: Increase student interest and engagement in STEM, STEM-related knowledge and skills through integrated STEM activities. Increase interest in STEM careers by connecting school to work and involving community/industry mentors.

Activities: Outputs (participants, products) Quality Indicators

Science Fairs Approximately 1500 K-8 students participated in three coastal STEM fairs supported by the STEM Hub. Hub staff recruited over 80 science and engineering mentors from coastal communities to visit classrooms weekly to help

Increased engagement of parents and community mentors



students with their projects, mentor orientations, and culminating public events were open to the public, drawing over 2000 individuals.

Oregon Regional MATE ROV Program

200 6th-college level students (35 teams), 50 industry mentors http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/04/24/april-25th-rov-competition/ http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/robotics-competition-gives-south-coast-students-stem-insight/article_c28895cd-c683-5f9f-a0ce-1691b1784221.html http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/04/28/mate-rov-a-teachers-reflection/

Two teams advanced to International Competition in Canada Sixty-‐seven percent (67%) of students reported that they knew more about STEM careers, and 54% agreed that they were more interested in STEM careers after participating in the MATE ROV building process and challenge.

Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge

100 3rd-12th grade students and their teachers, 8 industry mentors http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/150512-hotline.mp3

Student teams advanced to KidWind Regional Competition competing against top teams from OR, CA, and WA


http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/04/24/april-25th-rov-competition/

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/04/28/mate-rov-a-teachers-reflection/

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/150512-hotline.mp3


Marine Technology Summit with Speed Networking Sessions

25 WHS high school students and 4 high school teachers attended http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2014/10/24/students-attend-mts/

Students highly engaged, WHS developing new career pathways based on the experience

Careers In STEM Investigation

130 coastal high school students and their teachers participated in a one day event at HMSC with researchers

Students agreed that CSI helped them learn about career opportunities that they didn’t know about previously and to see how the science and math courses they take in high school are connected to careers

Girls in Engineering and Marine Science (GEMS)

Two day hands-on STEM camp with 27 7th & 8th grade girls, 10 mentors http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/04/23/gems/

93% of girls responded “agree” or “strongly agree” that they learned about a new career opportunity. 93% of girls responded “agree” or “strongly



agree” that they are planning to work harder in their current math and science courses.

Student Field Trips Thousands of k-12 students participated in STEM-related field trips sponsored by the STEM Hub http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/05/07/irish-transition/ http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/03/18/freeze-dry/

STEM Resource Trailers

Area trailers purchased and filled with equipment and materials to support STEM-related student activities

Online checkout system under development based on PMSP system

STEM Week Activities Over 20 activities including WHS STEAM night, OMSI at Oceanlake STEM Hub statewide network effort

Student STEMposium 120 5th and 6th grade students “It was a greatopportunity for my kids to feel like a college student, a researcher, and a member of something bigger in our community.”



Student-Scientist Partnerships

The STEM Hub has supported several student-scientist partnerships and data collection, connecting school to work http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/02/11/tillamook-problem-solvers/ http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/05/21/science-at-sea/

Many researchers are contacting the STEM Hub to involve students and educators in outreach and broader impacts plans when submitting grants

Afterschool STEM Programs

Creativity Camp at Toledo Library Yachats Youth and Family Activities Program

STEM Hub staff provided STEAM activities that integrated art

COSEY Camps 42 Middle School Students attended one of the two day camps held in Coos Bay and Lincoln City made possible through partnership with OSU Pre-College Programs. These two day programs involved engineering students from OSU who provided highly engaging hand-on activities, as well as describing what college life is like and their career aspirations

Targeted underrepresented youth, provided near-peer mentoring and career exposure

Statewide and Regional STEM Competitions

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub supported student attendance at statewide and regional competitions including VEX, Lego Robotics, Math Counts, Salmon Bowl, etc. http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2015/02/18/taft-tech-ftc/

Schools able to participate for the first time and placed well

Comments/Context:



Oregon Coast STEM Hub Media Coverage

IN THE NEWS

Science at Sea May 21, 2015 - Toledo High School teacher Ben Ewing holds the SS Dolphin which wasbuilt by Coos Bay middle school students and will be launched from the R/V Thompson over Memorial Day weekend. Read the story, and then track the SS Dolphin (zoom into the Pacific NW region)

Diving Into Marinelife - By Diane Vance May 15, 2015 - On May 12th, 120 Lincoln County 5th and 6th graders participated in a Student STEMposium sponsored by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub at the Hatfield MarineScience Center. They shared results of the science investigations with one another and heard presentations from local researchers. Link to the issue, PDF

KNPT Hotline Interview May 12, 2015 - Kiera Morgan from KNPT 1030 AM radio interviewed several Lincoln County School District STEM teachers and the Oregon Coast STEM Hub's Ruth McDonald to learn more about recent student engineering competitions and other STEMactivities taking place in the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. Listen to the MP3

North Bend Students Get Hands-on Science, Tech Experience May 5, 2015 - The World reports that the Oregon Coast STEM Hub partners helped provide a STEM Family Night at a North Bend school on April 30. Read the article

Teachers Collaborate for Students - By Diane Vance May 5, 2015 - This News Times article features teachers and students from Toledo Jr/Sr High School engaged in STEM activities, including participation in the Oregon Coast STEM Hub sponsored Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge and Oregon RegionalMATE ROV Competition. Both teachers in the article received professional development training and funds for student experiences from the Oregon Coast STEM Hub during the 2014-15 school year, as well. Read the article [link] [pdf]

The Private Eye - (5x) Looking/Thinking by Analogy - By Kerry Ruef May 2015 - The May issue of Microscopy Today published an article about The Private Eye that includes a photo from the Oregon Coast STEM Hub workshop that took place in Charleston in February 2015. Link to the issue, PDF of the article (p. 52 - 57)


Appendix C - Media Coverage

http://lincolncountydispatch.com/index.php/schools/item/4868-toledo-science-teacher-ben-ewing-to-release-student-built-science-project-during-ocean-research-cruise

http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/drifter/drift_ep_2015_1.html

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/newstimes-stemposium.pdf

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=86&story_id=48174

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/150512-hotline.mp3

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/north-bend-students-get-hands-on-science-tech-experience/article_1bfc7c8d-f8df-5603-a8b3-299c42a0a738.html

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=48013&page=91

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Events/newstimes-toledostem.pdf

http://content.yudu.com/web/14lmv/0A3cxwn/MicroscopyTodayV23N3/flash/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.yudu.com%2Fweb%2F14lmv%2F0A3cxwn%2FMicroscopyTodayV23N3%2Findex.html

http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Prof-Devel/microscopytoday-privateeye-may2015.pdf


Students Dive Into STEM in Statewide Underwater Robotics Competition April 29, 2015 - LincolnCountyDispatch.com shares a recap of the Oregon Regional MATE ROV Competition, with results. Read the article

Robotics Competition Gives South Coast Teams STEM Insight - By Chelsea Davis April 27, 2015 - The World features Bandon and North Bend students who are taking their student-built underwater robots to the Oregon Regional MATE ROV competition. Read the article

The Arctic Sea Beckons Warrenton High School - By Edward Stratton April 24, 2015 - The Daily Astorian features Warrenton High School students who are taking their student-built underwater robots to the Oregon Regional MATE ROV competition. Read the article

CYBORG Seagulls are Ready to Recycle - By Edward Stratton February 24, 2015 - The Daily Astorian features Seaside and Astoria students who are taking their student-built robot to a FIRST Robotics competitions. Read the article

Student-Built Boat Takes Scientific Mission to the High Seas - By Jes Burns February 10, 2015 - OPB EarthFix produced a 3 minute radio piece on the unmanned sailboat project in Coos Bay. Teacher "Andrew Giniger says the project came to Sunset Middle school through the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, which helps coordinate science, technology, engineering and math projects at schools." To listen, read and see photos, click here.

Two $1 million Grants Provide STEM Professional Development Opportunities The Oregon Coast STEM Hub blog posted press releases regarding awards that provide 3-yr teacher professional development training to teachers in Oregon. Read about the K-6 NGSS Instructional Specialists program here and read about Project DEMILO here. Winter deadlines to apply have passed, but the deadline for the summer or fall start for Project DEMILO is April 15.

Coos Bay Students to Build Boat - By Chelsea Davis November 10, 2014 - The World describes how Coos Bay students are building a 5 foot unmanned sailboat that they will be able to track with GPS throughout the Pacific. Read the article about this Oregon Coast STEM Hub activity.

• The Statesman Journal identified these student boat-builders as WINNERS intheir Nov 13 column. Read it here


http://lincolncountydispatch.com/index.php/schools/item/4715-students-dive-into-stem-in-statewide-underwater-robotics-competition

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/robotics-competition-gives-south-coast-students-stem-insight/article_c28895cd-c683-5f9f-a0ce-1691b1784221.html

http://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20150424/the-arctic-sea-beckons-whs

oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/sites/oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/files/Career-profiles/PR/cyborgseagulls-thedailyastorian.pdf

http://www.opb.org/news/article/student-built-boat-takes-scientific-mission-to-the-high-seas/

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2014/12/15/another-grant-k-6-ngss-instructional-specialists/

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregoncoaststem/2014/12/08/award-1m-develop-elementary-mathematics-instructional-leaders-oregon/

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/coos-bay-students-to-build-boat-track-its-voyage-in/article_6adec214-65e4-11e4-a764-07c519b38c25.html

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/education/coos-bay-students-to-build-boat-track-its-voyage-in/article_6adec214-65e4-11e4-a764-07c519b38c25.html

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/11/14/winners-losers-news-editorial/19003295/


• The World article was picked up by the AP and published in the WashingtonTimes on Nov 13

Anchors Aweigh - By Nancy Steinberg November 7, 2014 - The News Times describes how the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is supporting coastal students whose unmanned GPS-equipped sailboat will be launched at sea with the help of the R/V Oceanus. Read more

• Check out Phyxius' page at Educational Passages• Get a Fix on Phyxius - See where the boat has been so far and where it is

now! Compare its movements to the wind and currents in the area• Dec 3, 2014 - The Lincoln County Dispatch and News Lincoln County both cover

this story

LISTEN AND SHARE: STEM Radio PSAs http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/hub-happenings

• STEM Week Oregon, May 2-10, 2015 • STEM, for general/partner audiences • STEM, for parent audiences • STEM, for student audiences • STEM, for girls

WATCH AND SHARE: STEM Hub TV and Web site Spots Running on Charter Cable Educational Access Channel 190 all summer at the coast. http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/hub-happenings


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/12/coos-bay-students-to-build-oceangoing-vessel/

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/12/coos-bay-students-to-build-oceangoing-vessel/

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/fe_view_article_window.php?story_id=45893&page_id=91&heading=0

http://educationalpassages.com/boats/phyxis#.VGpRsGcXK3B

http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/drifter/drift_ep_2014_3.html

http://earth.nullschool.net/

http://lincolncountydispatch.com/index.php/schools/item/3745-waldport-high-school-students-help-noaa-track-ocean-currents

http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/130180




Demographics of Partnering School Districts (*Core Partner) (Federal Education Budget Project 2012) District #

students # teachers

Free-reduced

Lunch %

Poverty Rate %

Diversity % ELL SpEd White Afr.

Am. Hisp. Nat.

Am. Asian Minority

Lincoln County *

5200 256 63 26.6 6.3 14.2 69.6 0.8 14.8 8.2 0.6 24.4

Tillamook * 1950 119 59 22 12 13.3 67.6 0.2 26.3 1.1 1.8 29.3 Warrenton-Hammond

896 52 57.2 24.8 2.5 18.3 82.3 0.9 8.9 2.1 2.5 14.4

Astoria 1890 104 47.1 25 5.5 15.2 79.6 0.3 13.6 0.9 12 16 Seaside 1500 90 54.6 21.1 10.1 18.3 75.8 0.6 18.3 1.5 2.9 23.2 Nestucca 462 27 69.7 20.5 12.3 18.6 75.5 1.1 15.8 3.0 0.6 20.4 NeahKahnie 773 53 62.5 19.2 3.1 11.9 78.8 0.5 11.1 2.9 2.0 16.6 North Bend 2400 111 42.7 20.9 1.1 11.9 80.8 1.1 7.6 5.7 1.9 16.4 Coos Bay 3100 143 64.1 28.9 1.7 17.3 71.4 0.7 12.7 5.9 1.6 20.8 Siuslaw 1322 62 52.9 22.4 2.6 15.4 66.3 0.5 11.3 6.3 3.5 21.6 Reedsport 650 33 65.2 32.2 3.1 18.0 74.9 0 12.6 4.9 0.8 18.3 Bandon 745 40 57.3 21.5 0.8 14.6 80.5 0.1 8.2 2.3 1.9 12.5 Port Orford 283 18 62.5 54.8 0 15.9 88.0 0.4 6.7 1.1 1.4 9.5 Total 21,171 1108


Appendix D - Demographics of partnering school districts - 2013 Oregon Report Card


Student Achievement (all grades) / Graduation Rates, Drop Out Rates. College Enrollment (2013 Oregon Report Cards) District Reading (%

meet/exceed) Math (% meet/exceed)

Science (% meet/exceed)

Graduation Rate

Drop Out Rate College Enrollment

Lincoln County * 64.7 50.3 55.9 62.6 4.3 48.6 Tillamook * 65.9 58.9 50.5 76.1 2.1 50.0 Warrenton-Hammond 63.8 53.5 67.8 57.9 5.2 69.1 Astoria 79.7 67.8 57.0 59.8 4.6 60.8 Seaside 72.5 51.2 59.4 69.2 3.3 64.4 Nestucca 69.9 53.2 57.3 76.9 1.7 46.3 NeahKahnie 76.3 71.6 79.4 87.5 2.1 58.6 North Bend 62.8 49.3 59.4 66.5 3.7 63.0 Coos Bay 60.8 49.6 56.5 51.1 5.0 54.2 Siuslaw 72.2 58.7 71.8 65.9 4.7 55.6 Reedsport 51.0 36.4 56.2 57.6 6.2 55.8 Bandon 79.0 67.3 73.4 72.9 4.7 55.6 Port Orford 72.0 52.8 72.7 78.3 1.9 43.2 State Averages 65.1 62.1 70.6 68.4 3.4 61.1


regional stem hubs ode grants oregon coast stem hub fiscal ... · oregon coast stem hub final...

Documents