Got STEM? with Nancy Peter, EdD, Director of the McKinney Center for STEM Education, at the Philadelphia Education Fund.

Talk Abstract:
Like many of my colleagues, I was doing STEM education back when it was called science! I Since then, the field of STEM education has grown exponentially on a local, regional, and national level.

What exactly is STEM education? What are some of its short-term and long term goals – and how are these measured? Who is offering cutting-edge STEM programing in the area, and how do we find out more about these activities? What is the role of colleges, universities, businesses, and corporations in enhancing STEM teaching and learning? Are there easily-available resources to help design, implement, and assess quality STEM education? And lastly, how can we ensure that robust STEM activities are accessible to the youth, families, and communities that we serve?

In this interactive and fact-filled session, Dr. Peter will review overarching trends in STEM education, review resources for facilitating STEM education, and discuss both the opportunities and challnges inherent in the field.

Register for the event, here.

About Dr. Peter:
Dr. Nancy Peter is The Director of the McKinney Center for STEM Education, at the Philadelphia Education Fund. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, a Master’s degree in Instructional Leadership, and a Doctoral degree in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum. Dr. Peter is also is a certified elementary and secondary science teacher; and a certified professional development instructor for the Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System. Nancy Peter has published several papers, articles, and research studies on out-of-school time program design, promising practices in professional development, informal science education, and sports-based youth development.

Dr. Peter worked as Director of Education at the Academy of Natural Sciences; as Curriculum Manager for the Fairmount Park Commission; as Senior Policy Specialist for Youth and Afterschool in Philadelphia’s Office of Children’s Policy; as Children and Youth Project Manager for Philadelphia’s Best Practices Institute; as Co-Director of the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative; and as the Director of the Out-of-School Time Resource Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her position at the Philadelphia Education Fund, Dr. Peter is an adjunct at The University of Pennsylvania.

Nancy Peter grew up in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, where she still lives with her husband, two sons, a dog, and two cats. Her favorite pastimes are horseback-riding and dog-walking in the Wissahickon Park.

About Drexel's Center for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning Excellence:
The mission of the Center for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning Excellence (CASTLE) is to employ an interdisciplinary research approach to generate knowledge that will support improved STEM education at all levels — from Kindergarten through Faculty.