2010 NCSCE Washington Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session Set

Dec. 1, 2009 - PRLog -- Educators, students and administrators are invited to participate in the 2010 National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) Washington Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session, April 19-21.

A national center within Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, the NCSCE develops, implements, and evaluates activities and projects that encourage and strengthen the efforts of colleges and universities to reform undergraduate education, especially in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The signature program of the center is Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER), a project funded by the National Science Foundation. SENCER promotes greater engagement of undergraduates with the sciences in institutions of higher education in the US and selected other countries.

The annual event provides an opportunity for members of the SENCER community, and now those involved in NCSCE’s Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship through Education Network (GLISTEN) project, to present work to colleagues and Congress and to engage in discussions on how to continue to improve STEM education for all students.  

The 2010 Symposium will be held April 19-21, 2010 in both Washington, DC and College Park, MD.  The University of Maryland will co-sponsor the Symposium and host events on April 19th and 21st with support from the Dean for Undergraduate Studies, the Vice President for Research, and the College of Chemical and Life Sciences.  

The Washington Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session is designed to serve the needs of alumni in our community, many of whom have expressed a desire to report on their innovative efforts in STEM education reform, but who have been frustrated by the lack of venues, says Wm. David Burns, Executive Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) and professor of general studies at the Harrisburg University.

To learn more about the event and how to submit an application, visit online at http://www.ncsce.net/eventsandproducts/dc2010.cfm , or call 202.483.4600 or email ncsce@ncsce.net. Applications are due by January 20, 2010.  

Plans call for all participants, on April 20, to engage in personal meetings with members of their home congressional delegation, with whom they will be able to discuss how their campus projects are not only improving the welfare of the local community, but also how they are contributing to the improvement of STEM education for all students.  During a poster session and reception on Capitol Hill, participants will present their work to colleagues, members of associations and organizations concerned with STEM education and the issues NCSCE initiatives address.  

NCSCE strongly encourages all educators interested in participating in the Symposium and Poster Session to select a student to attend as well.  Students selected to participate in the Symposium receive a certificate recognizing their contributions to science and civic engagement.  Involvement in NCSCE initiatives is open to undergraduate students in all disciplines as well as to graduate students.  
Additionally, NCSCE will announce and honor the 2010 recipient of the William E. Bennett Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Citizen Science during the reception on Capitol Hill.  The Award was established in 2009 and named in honor of its first recipient for his lifetime contributions to citizen science.  

Participation in the 2010 Washington Symposium and Poster Session is by invitation only following submission of a brief application.  Applications are available now http://www.ncsce.net/eventsandproducts/dc2010.cfm and should be submitted to NCSCE by January 20, 2010.  Applicants will be notified of their status by February 4, 2010.

Established in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University's demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu.

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Established in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution.