Recognized for Democratizing Science Education
The New York Academy of Sciences has been named a Finalist in a prestigious STEM education competition.
Published October 27, 2011
By Diana Friedman
The Academy is pleased to be recognized as a finalist for a Special Focus Prize for democratizing science education in the U.S., sponsored by the Jhumki Basu Foundation. The Special Focus Prize is part of a competition centered on efforts to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, hosted by Ashoka’s Changemakers, in partnership with Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) and The Opportunity Equation.
The Academy was recognized for its STEM Mentoring Program, which recruits, trains, and supports young scientists, placing them in educationally underserved schools and afterschool programs where they can interact with and inspire students. Through this program, students get to experience science as it really is intriguing, hands-on, filled with questions at a critical time in their identity development and school choices. The mentors also receive valuable skills-teaching, mentoring, and an understanding of student needs with the goal of cementing their sense of professional responsibility to the next generation of citizens.
Giving Students a Voice
The Special Focus Prize is sponsored by the Jhumki Basu Foundation, which honors the memory of Professor Jhumki Basu, who believed that the most effective way to engage students in science is to partner with them and give them a voice in what they learn and how they learn. Basu was committed to bringing high-quality science education to children from low-income minority backgrounds.
Two Special Focus Prize finalists will be named winners on November 15. Each winner will receive $10,000 to support their efforts of spreading STEM education.
The Academy will further extend its ability to impact STEM education by participating in CCNY’s newly created Partnering for Excellence community. CCNY was one of the initial funders for the Academy’s Afterschool STEM Education Program, providing a seed grant to help launch the program. The Academy, through this now-successful program, will join CCNY and other prestigious organizations in effecting widespread STEM education innovation.
