This project will enable high school and middle school STEM teachers and students to conduct environmental research aided by the analysis of images from digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet. The project explores how digital image analysis can be applied to environmental quality issues that can readily be introduced into STEM courses, engaging students and encouraging them to think about related careers. The project will develop research agendas that will employ a variety of image analysis tools.

Studio STEM employs active, inquiry-based learning through engineering design activities to promote conceptual change and problem solving techniques using information and communications technology (ICT). The project aims to engage and encourage rural Appalachian middle grade students to pursue STEM using fundamental concepts in energy conservation and sustainability through an informal design-based studio. This setting allows students to creatively explore and share problems and solutions by documenting their experiences using personal blogs.

Digispired ii encourages seventy students to investigate mathematics, science, and engineering principles such as kinematics and kinesthetics related to the use of game controllers like wiimotes and dance pads in the process of creating games using a professional game authoring system. Building on a previous successful ITEST Strategies project, some of the students will be followed for an additional three years in high school and compared with similar students who participate for only three years. Students broaden their view of STEM and expand their thinking about STEM careers.

Digispired (Digitally Inspired) is a three-year project to provide 90 urban and rural low-income middle school students with opportunities to learn computer programming (i.e. C++), computer animation and digital imaging to create interactive games. Students will be recruited from Halifax, Hopewell and Prince Edward Schools of the Southside Virginia Regional technology consortium. Students will receive 144 hours of instruction per year (80 hours in the summer and at least 64 hours on Saturdays during the school year).

The Barcode of Life Initiative (BOLI) is an international biodiversity collaboration that creates a genetic encyclopedia of Earth's plants and animals using short DNA sequences that uniquely identify species groups. The goal of this strategies project is to interest students in STEM careers by engaging them in an international project to provide identification of biological species.

This project introduces 4th and 5th grade students and teachers to engineering design and associated mathematics by developing and implementing a new, scalable, personal fabrication laboratory, the Classroom FabLab, and supporting curriculum. The University of Virginia and the University of North Texas are providing preparation in personal fabrication to pre-service teachers in their methods courses. The pre-service teachers are doing their student teaching under master teachers trained by the project in ten classrooms in Virginia and five in Texas.

The Pulsar Search Collaboratory project (PSC) will engage 60 West Virginia teachers and 600 students in world class research in radio astronomy through the analysis of data collected using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).

MarineTech will serve 60 students in grades eight through twelve, over a period of three years, providing 144 hours of instruction and hands-on learning experiences in the fields of marine engineering and physical sciences with a shipbuilding focus.

The "Dan River Information Technology Academy (DRITA)," is a three-year program for high school students from underserved populations who are interested in pursuing IT or STEM careers. The overall goal of DRITA is to provide opportunities for promising African American or Hispanic youth to (1) develop solid Information Technology skills and (2) acquire the background and encouragement needed to enable them to pursue higher education in STEM fields, including IT itself and other fields in which advanced IT knowledge is needed.