Video: Everyday mySci helps nurture a child’s natural curiosity

From the playground to the pool to the ballpark, science is all around us. Through Everyday MySci activities, the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis helps parents nurture their child’s natural sense of curiosity, wonder and discovery. The debut 30-second video, Everyday MySci: Introducing Plant Life, shows parents how a walk […]

ISP has plan to boost math instruction, hires two math specialists

How many times have you heard people say, “I’m not good at math!” It’s become such a common refrain that the statement usually draws laughs or nods of agreement. But why is it socially acceptable to say you’re bad at math but not to say that you’re bad at English or reading? Most people would […]

St. Louis area educators attend leadership retreat at Washington University

It’s mid-June and while students are out on summer break, teachers never stop learning. Victorious arms shoot up in the air as towers of playing cards sway precariously on tables. This simple card activity is an example of how teachers can help students develop identities as STEM-capable learners. About 50 educators from school districts throughout […]

ISP partners with foundation to support makerspace kits in classrooms

When packing for college, most students take bed sheets, maybe a shower caddy and a laptop. Josh Seidel packed a tool box – an obvious choice for an aspiring engineer. Also, a fortuitous decision as it immediately came in handy on his first day at the University of Missouri. “The first interaction I had with […]

500 girls explore STEAM careers at Washington University

The science is clear: girls think boys are better at science. That’s wrong, of course. Still, subtle and not-so-subtle messages from parents, teachers and the media lead girls to doubt their abilities. The result: enormous gender gaps in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. “By the time they reach middle school, many girls […]

ISP joins national network to grow STEM teaching force

The Institute for School Partnership (ISP) at Washington University in St. Louis commits to advancing the goals of recruiting, preparing, and retaining 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers by 2021. New York, New York, February, 2016 —100Kin10, a national network coordinating and accelerating efforts to bring 100,000 new excellent science, technology, engineering, and […]

WashU undergrads teach local biology students

On Saturday, November 30, the lower level classrooms in Bauer Hall at Washington University were alive with activity. High school students raced from one side of a classroom to catch a falling balloon before it touched the ground, while next-door, students showed off their best dance moves. However, all this was in the name of […]

Answering the call

In a brightly lit forum of the Brown School’s new Hillman Hall, a collection of Washington University leaders addressed the recent calls to action made by the Ferguson Commission. In the wake of the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon formed the Commission to take an honest assessment of the underlying issues the community […]

Old partnerships, new opportunities

As science and engineering education becomes increasingly important in K-12 schools, the Institute for School Partnership (ISP) at Washington University in St. Louis strengthened an old connection to East St. Louis to bring new opportunities to educators. For two days, the ISP opened up its MySci Resource Center to educators from East St. Louis School District 189. […]

Teachers experience firsthand cutting-edge research

It’s not every day that a person gets to see something levitate, unless of course, that person knows Washington University’s Ken Kelton. Kelton, PhD, the Arthur Holly Compton Professor in Arts & Sciences, recently invited a group of educators from the St. Louis chapter of the American Chemical Society for a talk and tour of his laboratory. Kelton, […]