CREATING CONNECTIONS
TO STRENGTHEN STEM IN
CHICAGO'S SOUTHLAND
ABOUT CHICAGO SOUTHLAND STEM NETWORK
By collaborating with partners from across sectors, Chicago Southland STEM Network takes an innovative approach to increase STEM equity, interest, and persistence throughout Chicago’s culturally and economically diverse south suburbs. Chicago Southland STEM Network convenes educators, business leaders, and community enthusiasts to celebrate and strengthen STEM initiatives and workforce development for students. We create pathways:
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for educators to access professional development opportunities and learn innovative approaches to teaching STEM.
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for industry partners to engage students in workforce development collaboration projects by offering Network Internships.
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for female students to explore STEAM careers and find mentors through Girls STEAM Ahead.
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for community organizations to share their STEM programs through our online STEM Network Directory,
Chicago Southland STEAM Network originated in 2016 and is powered by Homewood Science Center, a nonprofit organization which inspires scientific wonder, learning, and pursuit.
South Suburban STEM Network Open House, August 30th, 2016
Video credit: Studio 604
STEAM NETWORK NEWS
STEM Learning in the South Suburbs
Edie Dobrez Executive Director, Homewood Science Center
August 30, 2016
“Homewood Science Center launches STEM Network to foster collaboration”
Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle, September 5th, 2016.
NETWORK EVENTS
FOR EDUCATORS AND
STEM STAKEHOLDERS
Chicago Southland STEM Network Virtual Meeting
September 29, 2020 / 7pm
Educators, parents and business leaders are invited to explore the power of Citizen Science at the Chicago Southland STEM Network Virtual Meeting. Patty Messersmith, Homewood Science Center Board Member and Senior Educator at Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, and Kim Smith, Homewood-Flossmoor High School teacher, will share how we've joined forces to offer HF Citizen Science activities this fall and winter. Based on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Celebrate Urban Birds program, HF Citizen Science activities and resources will be available for all age groups.
Join us to learn about
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The value, for student self-efficacy, using citizen science projects in science education
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How citizen science projects support the Next Generation Science Standards
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How an educator can best implement the Celebrate Urban Birds project for students
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Educational resources provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Educational resources provided by Homewood Science Center
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In addition, University of Chicago Professor Tim Wootton will be speaking about how citizen science has influenced his professional life and interests. Register to attend this free online gathering of the Chicago Southland STEM Network.
Is your organization an official member of our Chicago Southland STEM Network? Please register your school/district, community organization, or business to be an official member of our Chicago Southland STEM Network.
Members receive a free listing on our STEM Network Directory, which is a free resource available to the public, highlighting STEM programs and education across Chicago's Southland. Members will also receive invitations to our biannual Chicago Southland STEM Network meetings, a platform convening regional STEM stakeholders in collaboration to improve STEM education and workforce development.
If your organization has been active with the Chicago Southland STEM Network,
we ask that you complete the 2020-2021 STEM Network Membership Form so that we may update your profile.
GET UPDATES FROM THE
STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM
South Suburban STEAM Network was recently accepted into the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice, a global movement to change how students learn, educators teach, and how our country’s STEM workforce is developed. We join EvanSTEM and Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative as Illinois’ representatives within this esteemed group of 68 national and international members. Homewood Science Center's Executive Director Edie Dobrez will share the STEM updates and information gathered at the last national convening.
NETWORK INTERNSHIPS:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATION PROJECTS
CONNECTED LEARNING STREAMS
Students learn by doing. Through the combined efforts of South Suburban STEAM Network, Homewood Science Center, businesses, and institutions, Network Internships are developed in order to create hands-on, inquiry and project-based internship opportunities for junior high and high school students.
Check back regularly for upcoming opportunities for students.
Homewood Science Center is sponsoring a conservation ecology based internship for junior high school students. This internship will complement the classroom science content on ecosystems reflected in the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school.
Led by Patricia Messersmith, Senior Education Museum of Science and Industry and Nicole Fuller, Chicago Public School Science Educator, 6th-8th grade interns will meet at Homewood Science Center and learn from experts as well as work hands-on at Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve where the students will share their volunteer conservation ecology projects with the community on October 18, 2020 during Homewood Science Center's WALK WALTON.
MI-JACK PRODUCTS, INC.
Students worked with Mi-Jack Products, Inc. engineer to build a scale model of the Mi-Jack TRAVELIFT highlighting the simple machines which make the lift function. Students presented their work at Homewood Science Center's PopUp SCIENCE Simple Machines on Saturday May 18th, 2018.
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
Students worked with Schneider Electric designing hands-on activities to explore energy conservation and energy efficiency! Students presented their work at Homewood Science Center's PopUp SCIENCE Think Globally, Act Locally: You can make a sustainable difference on July 22, 2017.
STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM:
A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM
"STEM Learning Ecosystems provide the architecture for cross-sector learning, offering all young people access to STEM-rich learning environments so they can develop important skills and engagement in science, technology, engineering and math throughout preK-16.
Strong STEM Learning Ecosystems feature dynamic collaborations among schools, out-of-school time programs, STEM expert institutions (such as museums, science centers, institutions of higher education and STEM professional associations), the private sector, community-based organizations, youth and families."
South Suburban STEAM Network joined the STEM Learning Ecosystems in 2018.
JOINING FORCES WITH STEM ECOSYSTEMS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CHICAGOLAND
As a nationally recognized STEM Learning Ecosystem, the South Suburban STEAM Network is recognized as taking the lead in STEM learning for the greater Chicago Southland region. Recognized along with EvanSTEM and the Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative, Chicago Southland STEM Network joins a continuum of STEM ecosystems stretching across the Chicago Metropolitan region.
