Seventeen state-sponsored residential math and science schools have been created across the country to direct talented teens toward STEM careers. Admission is selective, based on competitive grades, standardized test scores, and references. Most of the schools also require preadmission interviews. However, selection interviews may be challenged as…

The purpose of this project was to construct and test an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system in which the power from a solar array could be stored in a rechargeable battery and a flywheel motor generator assembly. The mechanical flywheel energy storage system would in turn effectively power a 12-volt DC appliance. The voltage and current of…

Recognizing the potential of talented students, dedicated educators, and innovative leaders, NCSSSMST and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, convened a Roundtable for NCSSSMST STEM Leaders at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina on April 28-29, 2011. The product of the Roundtable will be a blueprint for STEM research in high schools that…

Diverse learners are capable of becoming talented professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)--but they need opportunities to develop. "Just as in generations past, there are talented students from every demographic and from every part of the country who with hard work and with the proper opportunities will form the…

In conjunction with an NSF-funded mentoring program that partners University of Utah engineering professors and their undergraduate and graduate students with high school students from several Salt Lake City high schools that have a high percentage of low income and ethnic minority students, the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES)…

Educators and employers increasingly acknowledge the value of intercultural competence. While most higher education institutions consider these skills as important outcomes for their graduates, few have specifically addressed the means by which to measure the wide variety of results. Having and using intercultural assessment tools will allow…

Based on the data gathered and the interviews with administrators, the author makes the following suggestions. These twelve recommendations are targeted primarily toward educators wanting to strengthen their own mathematics and science offerings, possibly by establishing a school-within-a school or launching a charter school. The recommendations…

The process of borrowing money can be intimidating to some people. Many feel at the mercy of a loan officer and just accept terms and amounts at face value. A graphing calculator, or spreadsheet, with appropriate knowledge of how to use it, can be an empowering tool to help create a more equitable situation or circumstance. Given the proper…

The National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) has long been concerned with assisting member schools in meeting the needs of the under-represented populations in their communities. This article presents a condensed report that summarizes a major project that has continued relevance…

Addressing the under-representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been an initiative of the U.S. Congress for the past 30 years, but the challenge still remains unresolved. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Congressional Committee on Equal…

Roughly 80% of the math and science schools under the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) umbrella are non-residential programs, with about 18% residential and 2% both residential and nonresidential. Now numbering 16 (with the Tennessee Governor's Academy closing May 2011), the…

Teachers enjoy the benefits of having former students return into their lives. With today's social media the connections are instant and/or searchable. This author is one that makes an effort to stay in touch with graduates, finding that during the reconnection process she learns many things about their adventures, research, and views on life. She…

What role can specialized schools with focus on mathematics, science, and technology have in sparking innovation? Such specialized schools can be and in some cases currently are leaders in promoting high-level content knowledge, creative and critical thinking, and problem solving--the basic ingredients of innovation. In this article, the author…

For more than 12 years, the Siemens Foundation has found unique ways to partner with organizations to support educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its focus is clear--to educate the next generation of innovators by supporting math and science education from grade school to grad…

The 2010 NCSSSMST Pre-Conference Symposium in Nashville, "Diversity: Negotiating the Path," was the culmination of initiatives begun two years ago by the Diversity Committee of the NCSSSMST Board. Inspired by the ground-breaking campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, members recognized within each candidate a symbolic example of what they…