Drake to get $2M for math, science

Training grant to mix learning, fun for high schoolers

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

By GINA HANNAH

Times Business Writer gina.hannah@htimes.com

A $2 million training grant for Drake State Technical College will mean a better prepared work force for the Huntsville area, college officials said Tuesday.

The National Science Foundation Grant will pay for summer science and math camps for high school students. The money also will help provide for some "stealth" teaching, said Dr. John Reutter, Drake's dean of instruction.

Reutter, along with two professors at Alabama A&M University, are developing a curriculum that integrates math and science in a fun, interactive fashion. The goal is to get young people to understand the connection between the video game and handheld computers they love to play with and the skills needed to develop them.

"In teaching, we've learned to be subtle in our approach," Reutter said. By making math and science fun, he said, students who would otherwise be afraid of those subjects may become interested, and may pursue those fields as a career.

"It's exciting for the whole community," said Reutter, who worked in private industry for 28 years before working in post-secondary education development.

"We're very aware of the needs of Huntsville employers to generate employees that are technically savvy," he said.

The grant, which will be dispersed to the school during the next five years, is targeted to developing programs for minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, career fields.

The goals of the grant are three-fold: to expand professional development opportunities for Drake's math and science faculty; expand the school's science and technology curriculum; and expand outreach to student groups that are underrepresented in the science and technical fields.

"We will have the opportunity to target students very early," said Dr. Helen McAlpine, president of Drake State. "We have a marvelous work force, but we also need more workers."

McAlpine said the grant is the largest from NSF ever awarded to the college.

Reutter said one of the first programs will be a summer camp where high school students can earn minimum wage to "come and learn to play with science, math and technology." Area teachers will also be able to attend sessions to learn new techniques in teaching the target subjects, he said.

The grant will also allow for more network-based and Web based courses to be developed, Reutter said.

In addition, Drake will have access to other programs developed around the country with NSF grants, he said.

"As Huntsville-area employers continue to grow, the availability of a technically trained labor pool is essential," said Brian Hilson, president of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. "With this NSF grant, Drake State will be even better positioned to benefit our new and expanding employers."



Drake to get $2M for math, science Training grant to mix learning, fun for high schoolers Wednesday, October 04, 2006 By GINA HANNAH Times Business Writer gina.hannah@htimes.com A $2 million training grant for Drake State Technical College will mean a better prepared work force for the Huntsville area, college officials said Tuesday. The National Science Foundation Grant will pay for summer science and math camps for high school students. The money also will help provide for some "stealth" teaching, said Dr. John Reutter, Drake's dean of instruction. Reutter, along with two professors at Alabama A&M University, are developing a curriculum that integrates math and science in a fun, interactive fashion. The goal is to get young people to understand the connection between the video game and handheld computers they love to play with and the skills needed to develop them. "In teaching, we've learned to be subtle in our approach," Reutter said. By making math and science fun, he said, students who would otherwise be afraid of those subjects may become interested, and may pursue those fields as a career. "It's exciting for the whole community," said Reutter, who worked in private industry for 28 years before working in post-secondary education development. "We're very aware of the needs of Huntsville employers to generate employees that are technically savvy," he said. The grant, which will be dispersed to the school during the next five years, is targeted to developing programs for minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, career fields. The goals of the grant are three-fold: to expand professional development opportunities for Drake's math and science faculty; expand the school's science and technology curriculum; and expand outreach to student groups that are underrepresented in the science and technical fields. "We will have the opportunity to target students very early," said Dr. Helen McAlpine, president of Drake State. "We have a marvelous work force, but we also need more workers." McAlpine said the grant is the largest from NSF ever awarded to the college. Reutter said one of the first programs will be a summer camp where high school students can earn minimum wage to "come and learn to play with science, math and technology." Area teachers will also be able to attend sessions to learn new techniques in teaching the target subjects, he said. The grant will also allow for more network-based and Web based courses to be developed, Reutter said. In addition, Drake will have access to other programs developed around the country with NSF grants, he said. "As Huntsville-area employers continue to grow, the availability of a technically trained labor pool is essential," said Brian Hilson, president of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. "With this NSF grant, Drake State will be even better positioned to benefit our new and expanding employers." © 2006 The Huntsville Times © 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.