|
| 2004 SIMaST Overview Slideshow - Powerpoint |
The activities of SIMaST are conducted primarily at Illinois State University, with activities also conducted at Bradley University; Wildlife Prairie State Park in Peoria, Illinois; the Challenger Learning Center in Bloomington, IL; the St. Louis Museum; and other community locations.
The curriculum focuses on enrichment experiences in scientific inquiry, mathematical problem solving, writing skills, uses of new technologies, and exploration of career opportunities. Goals of the SIMaST Program are to increase the potential for middle school minority students from underrepresented groups to:
The SIMaST Program is sponsored by the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University and coordinated by Dr. Charles E. Morris, senior associate, CeMaST. The SIMaST Program, formerly funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, is currently funded by Illinois State University and friends of the Program. Most academic activities take place in middle school mathematics, science, and technology classrooms in Thomas Metcalf Elementary School (K-8) located on the campus of Illinois State.
An overview of SIMaST 2004 is available in a Powerpoint presentation.
SIMaST consists of a Summer Experience that takes place on the Illinois State University campus. Participants live in Illinois State's residence halls for three weeks. During their stay in residence halls, participants check in on Sunday afternoons from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and are picked up on Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Follow-Up Experiences, one in the fall and one in the summer, provide a one-day experience for participants and SIMaST teaching staff to review and enhance skills learned during the Summer Experience.
Except for extraordinary circumstances, participants are expected to attend all sessions of the program.
Basic components of the program are:
Activities selected for the Summer Experience are based on concepts, themes, and activities that have been proven effective through development and testing in CeMaST programs, notably the program Integrated Mathematics, Science and Technology (IMaST), a middle school curriculum that integrates concepts from these three fields and others. Strategies and activities which characterize the IMaST curriculum have been selected as the basis of instruction for the SIMaST Program. Learning experiences are activity-based and incorporate learning, career-development, and electronic communication.
Forty-five to fifty minority students from groups that are underrepresented in the scientifically- or technologically-based workforces and who will be in seventh or eighth grade following the Summer Experience are recruited from schools in Illinois. An effort is made to select at least two students from each participating school to encourage group cooperation during the academic year as well as the summer.
School contact persons, usually teachers or counselors at participating schools, provide valuable assistance with the selection process by distributing and collecting application forms and assisting with program coordination.
For more information about the SIMaST Program contact the Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology by calling 1-888-438-3037 or e-mailing cmorri@ilstu.edu.