In late fall, educators from both the LCSD and other coastal school districts came together in Newport to learn about current Oregon Coast STEM Hub programs and other exciting STEM and STEAM efforts underway in our coastal schools.

Oregon Coast STEM Hub Director Cynthia Resendiz and District Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray led the introductions and the afternoon consisted of a series of presentations and discussion sessions around educational STEM initiatives.

Participants learned about the Rural STEAM Network Project, a grassroots effort to empower rural educators to share their best-practices focused on place-based learning experiences with other teachers.

Oregon’s coastal “Blue Economy” efforts and the work to create the Oregon Ocean Innovation Hub were explored, using a million-dollar Congressionally Directed Spending Award to foster blue innovation and entrepreneurship and to create credentialed “blue career pathways” for Oregonians (for both youth and adult career seekers).

Deb Mum-Hill, pictured, from the statewide STEM Network, outlined their five year strategic priorities and how STEM Hubs can serve as the “connective tissue” in widespread efforts to reimagine learning in our ever-changing innovation economy.

LCSD’s Bryan Freschi and OSU’s Jill Hubbard shared their efforts in creating an accessible Computer Science for All learning experience that engages both educators and students who might not have high levels of tech-literacy into an immersive learning experience.

The afternoon concluded with LCSD’s Alisha Powell introducing attendees to the District’s new Financial Algebra class as a way to engage students in real-world financial literacy using online problem-solving tools and exercises.