Here is a summary of the ways in which we are collaborating with the STEM Networks across the state to expand DIGITS’ reach statewide:

DIGITS is working with the Networks in the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley to implement DIGITS pilot programs in each of those regions. We are hoping to reach approximately 1,000 students through those pilots. As part of the effort to spread the word about the program to schools and employers in those regions, DIGITS also participated in a STEM Expo organized by the Pioneer Valley Network.

Berkshire STEM Network Website: http://www.mcla.edu/About_MCLA/Community/stempipeline//

Pioneer Valley STEM Network Website: http://umassk12.net/pvnet/

DIGITS worked with the Central MA STEM Network to recruit volunteers who work in the region for assignment to sixth grade classrooms in the Worcester area.

Central MA STEM Network Website: http://www.umassmed.edu/CentralMASTEMPipelineNetwork.aspx

The Northeast and Southeast STEM Networks invited DIGITS to participate in STEM expos in each of those regions to speak at or distribute information about the program to help with the recruitment of schools and volunteers.

Northeast STEM Network Website: http://nestemnet.org/

Southeast STEM Network Website: http://www.connectsemass.org/stem/

DIGITS is one of three projects which the newly organized Boston STEM Network has chosen to focus on in its first year. The Boston Private Industry Council, one of the organizers of the Boston network, will be helping us to reach out to all Boston Public Schools with a sixth grade and also assisting with the recruitment of volunteers.

Boston Private Industry Council Website: http://www.bostonpic.org/

Finally, one of the leaders of the MetroWest Network was extremely helpful in recommending teachers for our newly formed Teacher Advisory Council (TAC). The DIGITS TAC will aid us in our efforts to enhance the DIGITS program.

MetroWest STEM Network Website: http://www.framingham.edu/stem/

We value these new partnerships with the STEM Networks, are delighted with their support, and are pleased to be able to work with them to help them accomplish their regional STEM goals.

We would like to recognize the state Department of Higher Education STEM officials who support the work of the STEM Networks and promote the @Scale projects. Special thanks to Dave Cedrone, Executive Director of the statewide STEM Council, and Keith Connors, Project Director for the STEM Networks and the STEM Pipeline Fund. For more information on the STEM Networks, go to http://www.mass.edu/forinstitutions/prek16/pipelinenetworks.asp.

I am pleased to share this wonderful experience with you. This was my second year with DIGITS – I had a great start at the Ottoson School in Arlington, and this year’s visit to the Parlin School in Everett was particularly special.

The Parlin School decided to combine several classes into two sessions, so that all 6th grade science students could participate. Each of the two sessions contained roughly 40 students. I had two goals for the sessions – 1) transmit the DIGITS message, and 2) tell the students about myself and about cancer research at Millennium.

I used the sticker sheets and the DIGITS poster to highlight the importance of studying math and science. The students enjoyed the sticker sheets, and enjoyed my discussion about the poster, as I have some good visuals and tell a few jokes.

In telling my personal story, I focused on telling the students about my family; I spoke about my parents, who encouraged my interest in science; I spoke about my two grandmothers and my uncle, who unfortunately passed away after their fights with cancer; I also spoke about several members of my work family here at Millennium, and how some of them recently lost battles with cancer. I like to highlight the “Make the world a better place” component of the poster in conveying the importance of our research. I am honest about the challenges and tough realities of fighting such a tough disease, and encourage the students to imagine the difference they can make in the world by pursuing a career in disease research.

I turned the classroom into a mini-laboratory. I brought in microscopes and slides that showed what normal cells and cancer cells look like. I had the students put on lab coats, goggles and gloves, and asked volunteers to look under the microscopes and draw what they saw on the classroom whiteboards. We then had a conversation about the differences between normal and cancer cells, what causes cancer, and how my role as a scientist at Millennium contributes to the fight against cancer.

To end the session, I thanked the students and gave them Millennium transformer-like pens and temporary-tattoos (they absolutely loved both). I received a ton of questions from both sessions – questions came in “rapid-fire mode” about cancer, biology, family, and even random subjects like the bird-flu, facebook, if I would visit them again next year, my marital status, etc!!!

When I got back into the office that afternoon, I had an email from their teacher thanking me for coming in. She mentioned that the students expressed a desire to write me thank-you notes. I gave her my address, felt very flattered, and expected to receive one nice card signed by the students. As you can see from the pictures, I received a whole set of personalized, thoughtful, creative cards from each student. I was astonished to receive such an act of kindness, and was completely flattered and honored that the students took the time and initiative to show me their appreciation and to write such personalized messages in each. Some students wrote about themselves and how they’d like to pursue careers in science, while others wrote about their families and struggles with cancer. I was truly touched when some expressed their interest to have a job like mine, and thanked me for motivating them to pursue it.

I organize all of Millennium’s scientific education outreach programs to students of all ages (middle school, high school, college). This experience truly ranks as one of the more special ones. I will always keep the students’ thank-you cards as a reminder of why I work hard as a cancer research scientist and as an educator. It is motivating and humbling to potentially impact students’ lives in such a powerful way.

One of the highlights of the Summit was the launch of the WOW Initiative by Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, a statewide public awareness campaign designed to engage, educate and “wow” Massachusetts students into realizing the opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers – a goal similar to DIGITS’ own mission.
To kick-off the WOW Initiative, the Lieutenant Governor previewed the first in a series of videos that will be distributed to schools across the state aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM. DIGITS volunteer Jim Toepel, a Video Game Designer from Harmonix Music Systems; statistician Bill James from the Boston Red Sox; Nigel Jacobs, Boston Mayor Menino’s Emerging Technology Advisor, and Amy Kukulya, Ocean Researcher from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, are among the 15 STEM careerists or “wowsters” featured in a series of messages about the many opportunities for students in STEM related fields. To view the WOW video, click here.

A poster featuring the “wowsters” was also released.

The Summit featured presentations by Governor Deval Patrick, CEO of Change the Equation Linda Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Raytheon William Swanson, President and COO of EMC Information Infrastructure and Cloud Services Howard Elias, MA Secretary of Education Paul Reville, MA Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki, MA Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Joanne Goldstein, and Commissioner MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester.

Jack Little, President of MathWorks

The number of children pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and math – recently dubbed “STEM” education – continues to decline globally, but even more in the U.S. According to a 2010 report, baby boomer retirements will reduce the U.S. science and technology workforce by 50 percent by 2020.

Nationally, only 28 percent of high school students taking the SATs indicated an interest in pursuing a STEM career. Here in the Commonwealth, that percentage is 22 percent – shockingly low for a state with our technical reputation.

In 2009, Governor Patrick held a press conference at the MathWorks campus to announce the formation of the STEM Advisory Council, a public/private committee focused on stimulating Massachusetts students’ interest in studies and careers in the STEM disciplines. At the height of the recession, the topic of STEM education took center stage in the Commonwealth for a reason: It spurs the innovation that leads to long-term economic growth.

It’s a simple equation that we at MathWorks use everyday to drive our business: The company requires STEM-educated professionals to develop our software. That software is used by millions of university students to learn the principles of engineering and science. Those students go on to use our software in jobs where they solve complex problems, advance critical thinking and innovate new technologies. Their work ultimately results in a higher standard of living for all – better medicines, cleaner air and water, more efficient transportation. As the speed of innovation increases, so does demand for our products, leading to the creation of more jobs.

Our business, like many in Massachusetts, depends on talent that is educated and excited about science, technology, engineering and math. That excitement must be nurtured early in our children and be sustained through to the time they join the workforce. For MathWorks, any investment toward this goal is a direct investment in our future. That is why we have been long-standing advocates and promoters of STEM education.

Our ongoing programs include partnerships with local science museums, such as the Museum of Science, Boston, and the Discovery Museums in Acton. We are also the lead sponsor of the DIGITS program, which was launched in collaboration with the STEM Advisory in 2010. DIGITS enables students to meet and talk with STEM professionals – mostly from companies like MathWorks – who serve as role models and inspire students to continue to study math and science in middle school, high school and beyond. Research shows that middle school is the critical point at which children decide whether science and math is of interest to them both in and outside of the classroom.

In March, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education released a report reviewing the impact of their recently funded student interest projects, one of which was DIGITS. Of 14 projects reviewed, DIGITS was one of only five that showed measurable results in improving student interest in math and science. This is a great start, but with a long road ahead.

More can, and is being, done through public/private partnerships like the STEM Advisory Council. Massachusetts technology companies must do more to sponsor proven programs, like DIGITS, through financial support, as well as the volunteer time of their employees to serve as “STEM Ambassadors.” Public officials must do more to help schools participate in these awareness programs, particularly Western Massachusetts where there are fewer high tech employers. Schools themselves must do more to promote students’ STEM interest through project-based learning programs such as robotics clubs and the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair, that don’t require changes to teaching curriculum – just individuals with passion for the subject. Passion for STEM is something we can’t get enough of.

Senator Murray inspired the more than 200 sixth graders from both the Hobomock Elementary School and the North Pembroke Elementary School that attended by explaining that they are at a point in their educational journey where they should begin to consider what they would like to do for a career.   “Massachusetts is seen as a worldwide leader in life sciences and research and we are home to some of the most successful and innovative companies and research institutions. Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness. STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent, compared to 9.8 percent growth for other occupations, throughout the next decade. As 6th graders, you will be graduating high school at the height of this growth, making you the future of STEM careers. Our future relies on new ideas, new companies and new industries and that next great idea could be yours.”

The program also featured a career presentation by Jim Toepel, of Harmonix about the importance of math and science in pursuing his career from Boeing, through NASA and the Kennedy Space Center, to Harmonix and a performance of the DIGITS theme song and music video by Boston-born Las Vegas entertainer Tezz Yancey.

In addition to the Senate President, Dean Groves, The Engineering Center Board Chairman, Ken Anderson, The Engineering Center Board Member, Rick Colon, Verizon, Joe Dorant, President of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES), and Mike Connolly, President, Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association, also attended the program.

The assembly will be followed up by individual sixth grade classroom visits throughout the state by industry professionals from STEM companies and state agencies to promote further discussion among students about math and science careers.

Below is the release about the endorsement sent out by the Massachusetts Statehouse News:

ADMINISTRATION ENDORSES EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SCIENCE, TECH, MATH, JOBS
The Patrick administration threw its support Thursday behind six initiatives aimed at encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math – so-called STEM fields that state officials say are a growing part of the state’s workforce. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, at an event sponsored by the National Governors Association at the Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston, described a need to whittle down hundreds of competing strategies to identify the most effective ways to get the state’s students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields. The six programs endorsed by the administration include: Quinsigamond Community College’s Advanced Robotics Program, which offers lab training for students and teachers and is expected to reach 1,250 Worcester Public School students in its first year; Mass Insight Education’s Mass Math + Science Initiative, which seeks to stoke interest in STEM jobs within “underserved” communities, in part by expanding access to Advanced Placement courses; DIGITS Project, a STEM program working with sixth-grade students to stoke interest in STEM careers; Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Project Lead the Way, which features engineering and biomedical sciences training; MassBioED Foundation’s Bioteach program, which includes teacher development programs in biotechnology curricula; and Massasoit Community College’s Science Transfer Initiative, which addresses retaining higher education students in science fields after they enroll. Secretary of Education Paul Reville noted that although STEM fields are expected to become a greater share of the state’s job market, Massachusetts students have exhibited less interest in STEM careers than the national average. “Though our [test score] averages are at the top, the level of interest that our students express in careers in the STEM fields is well below the national average,” he said at the NGA event. “That’s of concern to us.” Murray noted that STEM jobs are estimated to grow 17 percent over the next decade. “Someone said that STEM is the inherent DNA that enables our economy across many workforce sectors and economic sectors,” he said. “That really is kind of how we’ve tried to bring our approach to this. We know that we are competing with places like China, Japan and India and other nations of the world.”

Representatives from the six state endorsed STEM initiatives pose with state officials, including Lt. Governor Tim Murray (fourth from right), Secretary of Education Paul Reville (far right), and David Cedrone, Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development and Executive Director of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council (far left). DIGITS CEO Joyce Plotkin is third from right.
Photo courtesy of Norman Birenbaum, Office of the Lt. Governor

Students

• 12, 237 students reached by the program – a 22% increase over last year and approximately 17% of all the sixth graders in Massachusetts

Volunteers

• 141 volunteers from 43 companies/state agencies/organizations participated
• 42% of volunteers were female, 25% were from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and 56% had advanced degrees
• 19% of our volunteers participated for the second time this year
• 4 key innovation sectors provided volunteers: information technology (57%), life sciences (23%), engineering (9%) and marine sciences (1%)
• 10% of our volunteers (scientists, engineers) were provided by MOSES – Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists, a state employees union

Schools

• 110 schools in 63 cities and towns across the state participated
• 42% of the 110 schools participated for the second time this year
• 2 new geographic regions – Boston Public Schools and a few schools in Western Massachusetts participated for the first time

The full 2010-2011 Annual Report with results from the independent evaluator will be released in early August and posted on the website.

Sparking STEM Interest Is Key to Earning Degree, Study Says

The most promising pathway to generating more college graduates with STEM degrees is not enrolling students in advanced math and science classes in high school or emphasizing higher achievement, a new study suggests, but simply doing more to spark their interest in the subjects.

“Focusing attention on increasing student interest in science and mathematics and demonstrating to students the utility of these subjects in their current and future roles may pay greater dividends in building the STEM workforce,” concludes the analysis, just published in the journal Science Education.

Drawing on national longitudinal data, education researchers Adam V. Maltese from Indiana University, Bloomington, and Robert H. Tai from the University of Virginia evaluated the influence of student attitudes, experiences, and performance over the time span from adolescence through early adulthood. They created a model to shed light on how various school-based factors might influence students’ decisions to pursue and complete a college degree in the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and math.

The researchers argue that the current policy focus on efforts to increase STEM majors “may be misguided” in what they see as the emphasis on advanced coursetaking and raising student achievement in the subjects.

At the same time, the authors caution that they’re not dismissing the value of such efforts.

“We want [students] to be skilled at math and science, but we also need to think about what we can do in terms of teaching it in ways to get them more interested,” Maltese said in a press release about the new study. “This [study] provides some numbers and some data to back up the importance of that.”

The researchers suggest that a promising approach would be to frame the presentation of math and science material in classrooms in a manner that is more relevant to the daily lives of students.

“Make the science personal, local, and relevant,” they suggest. In addition, they recommend “more discussion within classrooms about the types of jobs available in STEM and whenever possible have students interface with local representatives of organizations in the science, engineering, and medical fields to raise career awareness.”

The DIGITS program will be sending industry professionals from such Massachusetts companies and agencies as Akamai Technologies, Ammann & Whitney, EMD Serono, ITA Software, MathWorks, Mott MacDonald, PTC, Raytheon, and Shire Human Genetic Therapies into sixth grade classrooms at all four Newton middle schools.

Special guests at the June 2nd program included State Commissioner of Higher Education Richard Freeland, who reinforced for the students how many things in their daily lives depend on math and science, and Newton Superintendent David Fleishman who related how he uses math and science in his job, including when making decisions about school snow days.

Commissioner Freeland

Oak Hill students with DIGITS team

Superintendent Fleishman

Roving DIGITS Ambassador Jim Toepel from Harmonix and Las Vegas entertainer Tezz Yancey rounded out the program with a presentation by Jim on how he pursued his math and science-based career from Boeing, through NASA and the Kennedy Space Center, to Harmonix, and a live song and dance performance by Tezz of the DIGITS music video.

Jim Topel, Harmonix

Tezz Yancey

Superintendent Fleishman remarked after the program, “I thoroughly appreciated the presentation and know that it created a real buzz about math and science in the building.”

Representatives from the Newton STEM Coalition, a local parent STEM group, also attended.

Tezz enjoys the talking to the students at the Oak Hill Middle School

Many thanks to Oak Hill principal Eva Thompson for hosting the assembly and to Oak Hill Math/Science Teacher Norma Sullivan for working with the team and advocating on behalf of DIGITS and the importance of STEM education.

On Tuesday, May 31, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston Superintendent of Schools Carol Johnson, and Massachusetts Secretary of Education Raul Reville celebrated the launch of the DIGITS Project in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) with a kickoff assembly at the the Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston. Representatives from 5 of DIGITS funders were also there – Akamai, IBM, Mass. Life Sciences Center, PTC, and Verizon – as was a representative of DIGITS host organization, The Engineering Center.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino greets students at the Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston.

Forty percent of the Boston schools with a sixth grade – seventeen schools from around the city – have signed up to host the program in their sixth grade classrooms this year – the first year of BPS involvement in DIGITS.

Visits to classrooms by individual volunteers from Akamai Technologies, Analog Devices, BETA Group, IBM, ITA Software, Jacobs Engineering Group, MathWorks, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, PTC, Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Symantec, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals will take place before the end of this school year.

Highlights from the celebration at the Umana Academy:

• Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, emphasized how important it is for students to have math and science skills and lauded DIGITS as exactly the kind of program needed to get students to focus on math and science. He also pointed out that companies with STEM jobs are already in Massachusetts and choosing to locate in Boston.
• Boston School Superintendent Carol Johnson welcomed DIGITS to the Boston Public Schools and reinforced the commitment of the BPS to grounding students in math and science education.
• Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville encouraged the involvement of the business community in the schools, and stated that we can’t solve the “inspiration gap” that exists without the help of the business community. He pointed to DIGITS as a program that successfully addresses this issue.
• Umana Middle School Academy Principal Alexandra Montes McNeil, spoke about how inspirational DIGITS is for the students, referencing her own background as an MIT graduate in engineering, and applauded the DIGITS mission to increase student interest in math and science.
• Jim Toepel, of Cambridge-based Harmonix, in relating his own career history from Boeing, through NASA and the Kennedy Space Center, to Harmonix, encouraged students to consider the broad range of STEM jobs that are available to them – from life-saving to life-enhancing roles.

Boston Sup’t. Carol Johnson, Umana Principal Alexandra McNeil,Sec. of Education Paul Reville, DIGITS CEO Joyce Plotkin, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino	Jim Toepel of Harmonix

The program wrapped up with students moving to the beat of a live performance of the DIGITS Music Video and Theme Song by Boston-born Las Vegas entertainer Tezz Yancey.

Tezz Yancey dances the DIGITS music video and theme song