Health & Fitness
PTA and Radio Disney Bring ‘Science Rocks!’ to MLK Jr. Elementary
California State PTA and Radio Disney AM 1310 are getting kids at MLK Jr. Elementary School excited about science by blending education and entertainment.
In a unique collaboration, California State PTA and Radio Disney AM 1310 are getting elementary-school kids at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School excited about science through the dynamic, educational Science Rocks program. By blending education and entertainment, the Science Rocks program raises awareness about science and science careers, and helps to make science “cool.”
Science Rocks is being offered to 14 elementary schools in the Bay Area this winter as part of a pilot program. The program includes a free assembly and resources for a classroom activity. It is designed to generate enthusiasm and excitement for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies in 2nd through 5th graders in four school districts including OUSD.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School was the second of four schools in Oakland to experience the Science Rocks program. Martin Luther King, Jr. is part of the “STEM Corridor” OUSD is building in West Oakland. The STEM Corridor provides a continuum of learning from Kindergarten through 12th grade with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math. As students progress from elementary, to middle, to high school, they benefit from an integrated science curriculum that features project-based learning and develops a mindset oriented toward inquiry and exploration, not just memory and regurgitation.
By the time students enter 9th grade, they will be ready for the Global Engineering Math and Science Academy model being developed at West Oakland’s McClymonds High School. This model of supporting students early in STEM fields will prepare more students for the demands of the 21st century workplace and allow more low-income, female and minority students to seize collegiate and career opportunities in STEM fields.
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“Parents and educators, in particular, need greater awareness about how important it is for students to advance their proficiency levels and become highly skilled in STEM fields,” says California State PTA Vice President for Education Dianna MacDonald. “At the conclusion of the program, our hope is that students will be more excited about science and see that science does in fact, rock!”
For more information about California State PTA, please visit www.capta.org.