Tennessee STEM Education Center (TSEC)

Foster and promote high quality STEM teaching and learning in K12 through university levels.

College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University
Established: 2001

http://www.mtsu.edu/tsec

Profile submitted by Tom Cheatham

Vision and Goals

The Tennessee STEM Education Center (TSEC) advances the quality of pre-K through graduate and doctoral level Science,Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education across the state of Tennessee, and seeks solutions to the growing shortage of mathematics and science teachers across the nation, as well as, the increasing demands from business, industry and government for a highly qualified STEM workforce.

Center/Program Structure

TSEC is a separately budgeted unit within the College of Basic and Applied Science and reports to the Dean. There are university budgeted director, technologist and executive aide positions in the Center budget. Total staff is 3.25 FTE. Both internal and external collaborations are expected. We help 12-15 faculty groups prepare STEM education proposals each year and provide professional development to 100s of K-12 math and science teachers each year.

Description of Programming

I will describe five types of external programs and one internal program. Each year the Center hosts

1. The TN Undergraduate Posters-at-the-Capitol where 60+ undergraduates from the nine public universities present their research to legislators and executive branch government servants.

2. The TN STEM Education Research Conference where 100+ participants from university/college, community college, K12, state government, and private industry present and learn about the latest STEM education research.

3. Each year through state pass through ITQ, MSP and federal funding we provide PD to 100s of K-12 math and science teachers across TN.

4. TSEC helps organize enrichment STEM camps for K-12 students at fall break, spring break, and during the summer.

5. TSEC now facilitates the Middle Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub which is a network of 30 districts in the middle of the state who are doing some amazing things in STEM education. The STEM Hub is part of the TN STEM Innovation Network, a network of seven STEM hubs and partner school districts across the state.

6. Internally, our greatest effort is to assist faculty groups with proposal development across all STEM departments. Last year we helped develop and submit about 16 proposals.

Successes and Impacts

All five of the external programs described in the last box impact student, teachers, and/or faculty. Last year the numbers were 62 undergraduates presenting posters at Posters-at-the-Capitol, 100 participants in the STEM Education Research Conference (several math and science education PhD students who gave their first professional presentation here), 250 K-12 teachers participating in PD, 150 K-12 students attending STEM camps. The STEM Hub association is new in 2016. We assisted MTSU faculty and collaborators with 16 proposals last year that involved 40 faculty and requested over $3.5M.