The Kenan Fellows Program Fall Showcase was a resounding success. Over 200 people from industry, education and communities across North Carolina attended the event at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation on the NC State University Centennial Campus. Dr. Ruben Carbonell (Director, Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science) served as the host for the event and was joined on the podium by NC State University Chancellor Jim Woodward and Dr. Valerie Brown-Schild (Director, Kenan Fellows Program). The program list included speakers Dr. Joan Prival (National Science Foundation) and Dr. William Atkinson (WakeMed Health and Hospitals).
Attendees viewed the world premiere of “Teaching Students to Think Outside the Book,” the new promotional video for the Kenan Fellows Program. The video highlights the Kenan Fellows Program from the perspective of Kenan Fellows, their students, mentors and sponsors. To obtain a high resolution DVD of the video to share with others, use our contact us page and include postal address information.
Kenan Fellow Lori Stroud (Clayton Middle School) and her Mentor Rick Lawless (Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center) spoke about their partnership and how the curriculum materials created by Lori were relevant to her students. Through this project Lori’s students discovered the connection between the biotech lessons they did in school and the work their parents do every day at the local biotech plants. Middle school students Brittany Young and Tamia Mars both expressed how much they enjoyed doing the labs and both now have an interest in 21st Century STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers.
Dr. Prival provided information about the $1.5M NSF Noyce II grant awarded to the Kenan Fellows Program this past June. The grant will be implemented in the eleven county region surrounding Fort Bragg. These Master Teachers will serve as Kenan Fellows for two years and then remain engaged in their districts and communities for an additional three years. During this time, Kenan Master Teaching Fellows will work with pre-service teachers in local Schools of Education.
Dr. Bill Atkinson was the keynote speaker, and impressed upon the audience the need for all students to have a strong background in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. His real world examples inspired the audience to continue their support of the Kenan Fellows.
A reception followed the Showcase, with Class of 2010 Kenan Fellows conducting a poster presentation session. Guests mingled and learned more about the projects the Fellows and Mentors crafted over the course of their fellowship.