Episode 26

Museum of Science, Boston: Bringing STEM Education to Students Worldwide!

In this episode of the Digital Learning Today Podcast, Jeff welcomes Dr. Christine Cunningham, Senior Vice President of STEM Learning at the Museum of Science, Boston to discuss how educators and parents worldwide can use their new YES STEM Curriculum in their classrooms! If you are a new listener to TeacherCast, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In This Episode …

  • STEM is for everyone/every student—YES applies a new model for equity-oriented and socially engaged engineering learning developed by the Museum’s education division, encouraging all children to see themselves as engineers and passionate problem solvers poised to make a difference in the world.
  • YES units situate every lesson in a societal context, spurring students to consider the impacts of both scientific problems and engineered solutions on different individuals, groups, and systems. Learners are encouraged to value diverse approaches and reflect on the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their proposed designs.
  • Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) is the newest engineering and STEM program from the award-winning PreK-12 education division of the Museum of Science. It builds on 20 years of work by the Museum’s highly successful Engineering is Elementary (EiE®), which currently reaches 4 million youth every year in all 50 states and more than 30 countries.
  • The YES Professional Learning Team provides invaluable support for educators looking to learn more about teaching STEM.
  • As part of the Museum’s Year of the Earthshot, a yearlong exploration of climate action and sustainable solutions, new YES and EiE curricula empower kids to confront climate change.

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About the Museum of Science, Boston

As science and technology increasingly shape our lives, the Museum of Science strives to equip and inspire everyone to use science for the global good. Among the world’s largest science centers and New England’s most attended cultural institution, we engage nearly five million people a year—at Science Park and in museums around the world, in classrooms, and online. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic attractions as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum influences formal and informal STEM education through research and national advocacy, as a strong community partner and loyal educator resource, and as a leader in universal design, developing exhibits and programming accessible to all. Learn more at mos.org. YES (Youth Engineering Solutions) is the evolution of the award-winning youth STEM curricula program, EiE (Engineering is Elementary), both part of the preK-12 education division at the Museum of Science, Boston. At YES and EiE, we educate the next generation of problem solvers through high-quality, standards-aligned PreK–8 engineering, computer science, and STEM curricula. We also invest in educators through our exceptional professional learning offerings, including workshops, webinars and teacher educator institutes. Learn more about YES at mos.org.

About our Guest:

Dr. Christine Cunningham is the Senior Vice President of STEM Learning at the Museum of Science in Boston. She aims make engineering, science, and computer science education more equitable and accessible, especially for populations that are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. Her research focuses on articulating frameworks for precollege engineering education and exploring affordances of engineering for learners. Christine is the founding director of Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) and Engineering is Elementary (EiE), which develop equity-oriented, research-based STEM curricula and professional learning resources for preK-8 youth and their educators. Previously, Christine was a Professor of Practice in Education and Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. She holds joint B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Education from Cornell University.

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Jeffrey Bradbury

Jeff Bradbury is a globally-recognized educator, educational broadcaster, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network.