Don't forget

Please send talking points needed for DTE grant

Talking Points: (ALSO: See John's "post" above for additional direct correlations and insights)

• Overview: Historical relationship (over a decade) with the McMath-Hulbert Solar Observatory in Lake Angelus, Michigan (Originating supporter and contributor to the YAPO CLC). YAPO Computer Learning Center, Board Member

• Co-Authored original "Synergy Grant" after-school program with Pontiac Schools (Circa 1999-2001) Community-based, schools-connected, technological proposal.
  

• NSF ITEST STEM Grant 2007 (Of which you have a copy)

*Slected NSF Grant Excerpts:

• 4.5 Parental and Volunteer Involvement. The proposed project considers parental and volunteer involvement as a critical factor for the project’s success and continued student engagement and retention. Parental involvement will be fostered through scheduled seminars and outreach opportunities in order to promote their investment and robust participation in the project’s events and activities. Parents will be expected to bring their children to the project’s events and activities and actively engaged in whole-group meetings such as the kickoff, seminar, and techno/career fair. Parents who are employed in the IT industry will be more actively involved contributing to the project’s scheduled workshops, externships, and design activities. Parents with expertise in STEM related fields will be asked to help their children in greater detail. For example, parents in the engineering field will be encouraged to get their companies involved in the project to help the students with project design and supply of materials. The project will establish a parental blog site to facilitate collaboration and exchange among parents and participating students. Volunteers from the university students and staff, community members from participating schools, industry, government sectors, and students’ family members will be invited to strengthen the project’s support structure.

• 7. Key Personnel, Project Management, Timeline. In addition to the principal members of the project leadership team, Dr. Shedrick Ward, Director of The Science, Math, and Technology Resource Center, Detroit Public Schools will assume primary responsibility for the recruiting of participating students and teachers and overseeing retention activities. Jim Ross and John Iras from The 21st Century Digital Learning Environments will act as a liaison to business, industry, and government sectors and will provide support for the field-based experiences.

• Current: Regional Grant Collaborators, University of Michigan/Dearborn, Detroit Public Schools, Oakland Schools. Discussions have began regarding future inclusion with Pontiac Schools, Automation Alley, State of Michigan (National Governors Association, Governor Granholm and Michigan House of Representative, Tim Melton, District #29 (Pontiac), who also serves as "chair" of the State Education Committee.

• STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. DTE Energy Grant could be intrinsically tied to this NSF ITEST STEM Grant initiative with it's particular focus on MATH instruction.

• "Pilot Program" networked communications strategic elements: Schools to Community Centers via videoconferencing and web-enabled collaboration tools and applications. Pontiac Schools (WHRC) Community Centers (YAPO Computer Learning Center, Lancaster Village "Community Life Center" and Newman Court Computer Learning Center.

• This NSF ITEST STEM Grant initiative may well blossom into becoming the "foundational element" from which to create a Southeastern Michigan Regional STEM Center serving as an incubator for advanced research & development initiatives for K-20 educational endeavors with industry, business and government.
  

• Additionally: Successful NSF "Pilot Program" could become a national K-12 replication model program. This NSF Model Program could also serve as a model for all "HUD Community Learning Centers" (HUD CLC Network).

• * Ten-Point Toss-up: DTE Engery could become interested in becoming a "direct corporate /foundational partner" in these Southeast Michigan regional STEM developments. (Mrs. Lee McNew who serves/served on the DTE Energy board was also a huge supporter of the McMath-Hulbert Solar Observatory and it's Education Programs in Lake Angelus)