STEM Recruitment and Retention Strategies for the Non-Traditional Student CFE Institute Susan Rainey Non-Traditional & AdvancED Coordinator, Oakland Schools/Career Focused Education Julie Ouellette Lakeland High School – Huron Valley Schools Christine Trent Harrison High School—Farmington Public Schools Cathy Artley School-to-Career Coordinator, Oakland Schools Technical Campus NE/Career Focused Education Laura Cloutier Walled Lake Northern High School

Training is by an organization called the Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS) Learn about various recruitment & retention strategies geared towards female students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways. Donna Milgram Executive Director, Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science Trainer, WomenTech Educators Online Training 10 WEEK ONLINE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TRAINING

GOALS FOR TODAY Discuss recruiting techniques in depth Share success stories

PROBLEM SOLVING/PAIRING Team Work Pen Assembly Activity

PERKINS REQUIREMENTS 6S1 Non-Traditional Participation (Recruitment) 6S2 Non-Traditional Completion (Retention) Carl Perkins is the largest federal source of grant money for public education distributed to the states states distribute funds to ISD/county service agencies Non-traditional definition is less than 25% of either gender employed in any given career field nursing used to non-traditional, but males are now more than 25% part of the work force

OS NON TRADITIONAL PROGRAM NUMBERS

Engineering Challenge Teamwork exercise using spaghetti noodles, tape and one marshmallow Should include structured assigned roles or it could lead to lack of confidence in female students if male students take over - switch roles throughout exercise

COUNTY LEVEL RECRUITMENT Into the Middle Schools Twice a year County wide challenge with awards Teacher swap with high school/middle school Chance to meet future students Websites/communication to promote activity and winners Social media

Send your event to EVENT-BASED RECRUITING HOW TO GET FREE PRESS Have your district do a press release

Lesson Plan for Day

Benchmarks

Promotion Ideas

Take pictures & get signed releases Write up larger press release type story Make use of local access channels Make use of local papers (patch, OP, hometown etc.) Send your event to

RECRUITMENT— OAKLAND SCHOOLS TECHNICAL CAMPUS Career Night Have students demonstrating hands-on project in classrooms Invite post-grad students to speak to guests Have current students hang posters in their sending schools Bring a Friend Day Create a letter for current female students to give invite female friend/guests Student will do hands-on project with their guest Give extra credit

RECRUITMENT—SCHOOL Career Day 8 th & 11 th grade 8 th grade field trips Curriculum Fair/scheduling presentation get out to kids Grade level parent meeting Open House Classroom presentations Tables at lunch Expo Night Incoming 9 th grade parents

SOLUTIONS FOR GATEKEEPING CLASSES Math integrated into program Hands-on activities that teach lab techniques Tool identification game Spatial reasoning game Problem solving Slower paced summer programs

SPATIAL RELATION ACTIVITY Problem solving

SPATIAL REASONING WEBSITES FOR PRACTICE

MATH INTEGRATED INTO PROGRAM

TOOL IDENTIFICATION GAME FLASH CARDS

ROLE PLAYING Non-gender specific dialogue How NOT to talk Audience feedback Welcoming conversation script

LEARNING STYLES Driving & Navigating Techniques See your building CareerCruising Administrator for access

LEARNING DIFFERENCES

LEARNING STYLES

GIRLS - BOYS

Girls function differently in single gender groups when experiencing science or technology which they often perceive as intimating or difficult. Studies show that teachers tend to pay more attention to boys that “call out” answers. Boys tend to take over leaving girls to be the recorder for the group. Girls tend to stop trying when things get harder. Blind Building (building Lego™ structures behind a screen while telling a partner how to build the same structure) is a great activity for working on spatial skills. LEARNING STYLES

REMEMBER : Drop your participation form and $10 for SCECH’s at the front desk on your way out.