Program to Drive Talented Underserved Students Toward STEM Careers
Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) creates pathways for underserved students to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. The nonprofit has provided its services for free to more than 600 students since 2011. Before creating the pathways, BEAM asks itself, what do most scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and programmers do growing up? and then, how can we bring those same opportunities to underserved students? After considering these questions, BEAM creates a series of experiences for students in grades 6–12: a sixth-grade summer program in Los Angeles and New York City; a seventh-grade residential summer program on college campuses; advice to help students in eighth through twelfth grades attend great high schools, pass algebra in eighth grade, access other enrichment programs, and ultimately go to an excellent college. Students declaring STEM majors also get support during their college years. Through its work, BEAM helps to diversify other enrichment programs and gives students a realistic chance at the career of their dreams.
The CanvasMol website has more than 50 three-dimensional interactive rotating models of relatively common molecules such as glucose and fructose. Students can alter each model to show (or not show) bonds, to show (or not show) individual atoms, and to rotate on the X, Y, and Z axes.
The US Department of State has announced STEM Innovations and Global Competence—a free, self-paced online course for US educators. The course focuses on the intersection of STEM subjects and global competence.
The STEM for All Multiplex is an online, free, interactive platform featuring more than 1,600 short videos that showcase federally funded projects aimed at transforming science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science learning.