Project Profile

This project combines efforts of the EDUCATION CONNECTION Center for 21st Century Skills with the Education Development Center (its research partner), and K-12 school districts to develop, implement, study, and evaluate an innovative STEM career academy model. A consortium of state colleges and universities (as well as other entities) helps to fully integrate cyberlearning and content courses in STEM with digital arts and media. The consortium includes Southern Connecticut (CT) State University, CT College of Technology, CT Office for Workforce Competitiveness, CT State Department of Education, and CT Pre-Engineering Program. This group intends to significantly increase the career interests of underrepresented students and improve their readiness for college-level coursework in STEM and ICT fields. Prior NSF-funded projects and existing state supported programs (e.g. ATE project and Connecticut Career Choices or CCC) contribute to the foundation for the proposed Connecticut Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (DAS Academy) project. Together, the partnership expands the focus from six high schools in 2002 to over 30 high schools in 2010. Interactive online STEM/ICT coursework reaches over 1,200 students. Forty percent of these students are minorities. Students in the DAS Academy will be selected from four urban, four suburban and four rural high schools. The DAS Academy offers eligible students up to 15 college credits through the CT community colleges and universities. Participating teachers receive intensive professional development to advance skills and knowledge in STEM/ICT education, technology-rich instruction and 21st Century workforce standards. These skills help teachers guide students through the online coursework.