STEM cut alternatives recommended
HANCOCK — With the proposed loss of five math/science centers across the Upper Peninsula, the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network (MMSCN) and the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics & Environmental Education (WUPC) at Michigan Technological University, have arrived at two alternative proposals to put before the legislature and the governor.
The first proposal is to maintain current funding levels for the 33 Regional Centers of MMSCN to support the STEM Council pillars, with special emphasis on those related to teacher capacity-building and student talent development.
The second proposal is to support the 10 STEM centers in the prosperity regions whose role should be to nurture, support, and coordinate STEM programming, including promoting STEM education, seeking funding, and convening STEM stakeholders to advance all STEM goals.
“Our proposal is to have these 10 STEM centers that the governor wants, but also keep the 33 math/science centers intact,” Joan Oppliger, director of the WUPC said. “And so, that’s what we’re asking the governor to do. We’re asking that people speak on our behalf about the services that they get from their math/sciences center, and that we really need to be a regional math/science center for our students and our teachers, Especially in rural areas to get the services they deserve.”
“This initiative is being backed by every university in the U.P. Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, and Northern Michigan (University) are all in support of not losing our math/science centers,” George Stocker, CCISD superintendent, said. “They do not want the math/science centers to go away. I would say that every other ISD is also in support of it. We do not want this to happen. The U.P. is just way too big to try to figure out how to have one STEM center.”