Editor's note: Opinion's Spark series includes Spark of Innovation, spotlighting local engineers and scientists, to encourage Orange County students to see career possibilities for themselves in science, technology, medicine and engineering, and Spark a Passion for Science, highlighting teachers, administrators, parents, students and organizations focused on improving STEM education in Orange County schools. Bill Blanning and Laurie Smith of Science@OC coordinate the Spark series
* How long have you been involved in STEM and/or science education and in what capacity? I started working in science education when I got my first job out of college, working for an educational nonprofit. I spent seven years there, first as an instructor and then running the Outdoor Education programming, before leaving for a volunteer year in Israel, where I taught after-school STEM programs to Druze high school students. Teaching science in a foreign country, where the attitudes towards environmentalism are so different, and the resources for some groups are even more limited than they are here in California, was really a challenge. I began working for Crystal Cove Alliance in late 2013.
* How are you emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education? Crystal Cove Alliance is the nonprofit partner of Crystal Cove State Park, so the educational work we do supports the park in providing for the health, inspiration, and education of the people of California. Everything we do engages learners in real-world STEM learning, from our Citizen Science Marine Protected Area Cruises, where high school students help scientists assess the health of our offshore Marine Protected Area, to our new Citizen Science programs at the Berns Environmental Study Loop, where students can help collect monitoring data for our park managers using everything from porometers to trap cameras. During the summer, we also run Citizen Science projects for the public in the Crystal Cove Historic District every Wednesday.
* What do you see as the biggest single challenge in promoting and enhancing STEM education? What solution(s) would you recommend? The biggest challenge in STEM education is getting students to realize that science happens outside of the classroom - that science skills are something everyone uses every day. The new Next Generation Science Standards, which incorporate science and engineering practices alongside the traditional content knowledge, are a big step forward in that, but we still need to provide learners of all ages with experiences to help them apply STEM skills to real-world settings. Making a better use of outdoor settings like state parks can help to overcome that challenge.
* What would be the most successful outcome of your work? What impact would it have? At Crystal Cove Alliance, we see our work as a model that can be replicated throughout the entire California State Park system. The most successful outcome of our work would be seeing STEM education programs spread throughout the state park system, meaning that Californians everywhere could take advantage of these amazing resources for inspiration and science learning.
* Who or what 'sparked your passion for science'? When did you make your career decision? When I was a kid, I participated in a summer camp that asked us to build a 'boat' from milk cartons and other recycled materials. My boat sank almost immediately. I was heartbroken, but I spent the next year determined to make my second rendition better. I It was really my first introduction to real-world problem-solving and engineering.
I don't know if I ever made a specific career decision to work in informal STEM education - but I love every minute of it, and I have never looked back.
* What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction? Seeing people really engaged in science learning. Whether it's a group of beach-goers using sieves to search for preproduction plastic pieces buried in the sand, or a high school student who can't tear herself away from surveying plankton on a microscope at sea, I love to see people in the zone on our programs.
Where did you get your degree, and what was your major and advanced field of study? My bachelor's degree, from Tufts University, is in archaeology.
* What is the best advice you received that has helped further your career? ' Life is short - live your dream, and wear your passion.'
* What would you tell students - especially girls, who are underrepresented in science and engineering careers - who think that math and science are 'too hard' and may believe that STEM careers are beyond their reach? I wouldn't tell those students anything. I'd want to take them outside and let them inspire themselves.
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Parmis Khatibi: Anticoagulation specialist, UC Irvine Medical Center.
CynDee Zandes: Chief Program Officer, THINK Together.
J ahnavi Lokre: Vice president, corporate strategy, director of software engineering, Sparton Aubrey Group, Irvine.
Entities 0 Name: Crystal Cove Alliance Count: 3 1 Name: California Count: 2 2 Name: Orange County Count: 2 3 Name: UC Irvine Medical Center Count: 1 4 Name: Citizen Science Marine Protected Area Cruises Count: 1 5 Name: Israel Count: 1 6 Name: Laurie Smith Count: 1 7 Name: Druze Count: 1 8 Name: Bill Blanning Count: 1 9 Name: Sparton Aubrey Group Count: 1 10 Name: Crystal Cove Historic District Count: 1 11 Name: Crystal Cove State Park Count: 1 12 Name: Parmis Khatibi Count: 1 13 Name: Citizen Science Count: 1 14 Name: Tufts University Count: 1 15 Name: Marine Protected Area Count: 1 16 Name: California State Park Count: 1 17 Name: Irvine Count: 1 18 Name: CynDee Zandes Count: 1 19 Name: Berns Environmental Study Loop Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1uyrVZz Title: If you want to be rich and powerful, majoring in STEM is a good place to start Description: The standard narrative today is that science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) education is important because we need more data scientists, engineers, and STEM professionals. But promoting STEM education is critical for another reason: it teaches creative problem solving, which is widely applicable and more necessary than ever today.
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