Attendants are briefed on methods used by the UWA Black Belt STEM Education Institute to increase STEM awareness throughout an underserved geographic region in Alabama. In the rural regions of Alabama’s Black Belt, educators and communities face unique challenges to delivering high-quality STEM education. Through relationship-building, hands-on activities, and high-quality professional development opportunities, the UWA BBSEI is changing the way school leaders, teachers, and students approach STEM in the state of Alabama.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore the strategic framework behind the collective impact approach, understand its measurable outcomes on student achievement and engagement, and discuss strategies for replicating similar partnership-driven models in their regions. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable insights and resources to foster collaborative STEM ecosystems in underserved communities.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Reggie Holifield, Chester Nicklas, Jr.

Data collection and robotics are accessible, engaging learning experiences, offering ALL students opportunities to explore, engage in hands-on learning, and experience success, using technology-rich devices, while learning essential science processes and concepts. Testing variables, analyzing their effects, and watching a device ‘work’ are positive learning experiences. Attendees will actively engage with a wide range of technology-rich devices and learn how to implement engineering design processes and robotics concepts, providing accessible portals of learning for ALL K-6 students, including ELL’s and special needs learners, as students develop computational and critical thinking skills and become successful, innovative problem solvers. Attendees will learn how to add complexity and rigor to tasks, as students gain skills and understanding. Practical strategies and applications will be explored, maximizing opportunities for equitable, accessible learning for ALL students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design accessible learning experiences using innovative devices, helping students learn essential science concepts, data collection and analysis, engineering design processes, and robotics, and how to add rigor and complexity as learners gain skills and understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Knoell

In the rural regions of Alabama’s Black Belt, educators and communities face unique challenges to delivering high-quality STEM education. To address these disparities, the UWA Black Belt STEM Education Institute (UWA-SEI) has embraced a collective impact model that integrates diverse stakeholders—including educational institutions, industry partners, community organizations, and national STEM leaders. This session will showcase how UWA-SEI successfully revitalizes STEM education through partnerships such as Learning Blade, National Math and Science Institute (NMSI), VEX Robotics, AMSTI, Betabox, Math Nation, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how a collective impact model can be used to build sustainable, partnership-driven STEM ecosystems that improve student achievement and engagement in underserved, rural communities like Alabama’s Black Belt.

SPEAKERS:
Chester Nicklas, Jr., Dr. Reggie Holifield

This hands-on workshop explores how to introduce the hot topics of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to students using low-cost and open access SmartMotors. Participants will explore program design and engage in a hands-on SmartMotors activity and will be provided with resources for implementation. The program was co-designed with teachers to use Novel Engineering to solve cross-disciplinary, real-world problems, aligned with NGSS standards. As part of a 4-year, NSF-funded study, the program has been implemented with over 400 diverse students (grades 2–6) and 18 educators. Students and teachers demonstrated gains in STEM self-efficacy, ML attitudes, and strong program satisfaction and usefulness, while student content knowledge gains varied by year. This session supports educators in creating developmentally appropriate, equity-focused AI/ML learning opportunities and preparing students to be informed users and future creators of emerging technologies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and implement developmentally appropriate, equity-focused AI/ML learning opportunities for elementary students. They’ll engage in hands-on activities, explore research findings, and receive resources to teach AI/ML concepts in both formal and informal settings.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Coxon, Dustin Nadler