The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will use an $800,000 NASA grant to train students in STEM education and aerospace research.
Across the state, 18 colleges and universities are part of the consortium.
Constance Meadors, director of the consortium, said the program trains students to work for NASA as well as preparing them to work in the local aerospace industry.
“We really focus on workforce development, skills development and training,” Meadors outlined. “We look to see how we can meet the needs of NASA, but also our goal is to meet the needs of the State of Arkansas as it relates to aerospace or workforce development.”
Currently, 10 Arkansas college students are participating in internships at NASA Centers.
Part of the grant money will be used to create portable planetarium programs at several of the affiliate campuses, including Southern Arkansas University and Henderson State University. Students will take the planetariums to schools and community events to introduce more people to space science education.
Meadors added a recent graduate of the consortium received a research position due to his experience in the program.
“Because of having Space Grant research and experience in rocketry, the company had bumped him up,” Meadors reported. “We want to impact our local aerospace industry as well, because aerospace is the number 1 export in the State of Arkansas. And so, we want to have homegrown employees.”
The consortium will hold its first NASA ASTRO Camp in Arkansas in the fall semester, to teach students and faculty members how to share space exploration with younger students.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
get more stories like this via email
It is only early summer but North Dakota school districts are preparing for the fall.
As in recent years, some administrators are performing what amounts to a high-wire act in balancing resources and services. This year’s legislative session saw a 2.5% increase in K-12 funding.
Leslie Bieber, superintendent of Alexander Public Schools, said health insurance costs are climbing higher and the latest national rankings show North Dakota falling further behind in average teacher pay. Bieber noted all those forces create an uphill challenge in maintaining a full staff.
“We had some teachers resign and we are choosing at this point not to replace one, just to help with budgeting purposes,” Bieber explained.
Bieber pointed out she will carve out time from her administrative role this fall to help with teaching duties. She acknowledged her district is lucky because its small size does not create a lot of holes to fill but she still would like broader support. Despite misgivings about current funding, controversial plans like private school vouchers or Education Savings Accounts ultimately failed.
Public school advocates said such plans can be threats to their funding. However, North Dakota will begin welcoming charter schools, an approach long opposed by teachers’ unions. Bieber stressed no matter the budget challenges in their way, she wants parents and students in her district to feel reassured educators will carry out their mission.
“Our goal is to do what’s best for our students, no matter what kind of funds we have,” Bieber emphasized.
Like local governments, school districts will have to adjust to a 3% cap on annual property tax increases. Supporters said the cap provides much-needed relief to homeowners, especially after voters rejected a ballot question to largely do away with local property taxes but municipal and educational leaders worry about their ability to cover operational expenses.
get more stories like this via email
University officials in Indiana are rewriting guidelines for on-campus protests to address a tense political backdrop.
More students are watching and listening to see which institution shares their values.
Last month, a court blocked parts of Indiana University’s “expressive activity” policy, which restricted when protests and speeches could take place.
Data from education consulting firm EAB show 14% of prospective students dismiss schools they deem too conservative, and 12% dismiss schools seen as too liberal.
Pam Royall – head of research, enrollment services, and marketing solutions at EAB – said future students are seeking colleges that reflect their beliefs.
“They’re eliminating certain institutions that they believe are misaligned with their political values,” said Royall, “either because they’re too conservative, or they’re too liberal, they’re in a blue state, or a red state.”
Observers call incoming students the Anxious Generation, because more young people now experience that mental health condition.
Royall said the greater sense of anxiety can also be linked to social media usage, and pressure to make decisions in an environment with competing messages.
Protection from gun violence and sexual assault are other key points students feel are important in their college search.
Forty-five percent of students surveyed said anxiety or feelings of isolation had a “moderate to extreme impact” on their college search.
Royall added that heightened stress from adjusting to the college experience can be overwhelming.
“Now,” said Royall, “it’s also a matter of support for mental health and wellness that is driving students’ perception of safety and their sense of belonging on campuses.”
Gen Z students also define a safe campus environment as one that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supports free speech.
get more stories like this via email
Two California nonprofits are working to make school boards more effective, diverse, and inclusive, to counter the weaponization of cultural issues that often plagues school governance. The Education Justice Academy trains school board members or candidates twice a year on how to read a budget, how state funding or school vaccination programs work, and more.
Briana Mullen, executive director of The Education Justice Academy, said she believes competent leadership on school boards can restore good faith.
“I believe it is the largest piece of our democracy that we could rebuild around a positive vision around how government works,” she explained. “I also think we’re not going to really believe in government until we see some of this get fixed at the local level.”
Right now, only about 10% of California voters bother to cast a ballot in school board elections. So, the free program also teaches board members how to best communicate their policies, to inspire more people to make their voices heard. The academy will graduate its fifth cohort this month. The next 3-month program starts in the fall. More information is at edjusticeacademy.org.
David McKinney, vice president of the San Francisco-based nonprofit YouthTruth, said his organization also works on this issue, conducting in-depth surveys of students, then using the data to empower kids and the people in charge.
“In our experience when young people are actually invited to be a part of the conversation, what they say can be a powerful tool for helping school boards understand what students are actually experiencing in the schools they govern, and then use that data to help districts and schools actually improve,” he said.
In 2023, the Student Senate in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District used their survey data to brainstorm ways to improve campus culture, then presented the results to the school board.
get more stories like this via email
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
