CSTL Community STEM Center Public Visioning Meeting April 30th

Rockville Centre, NY/Franklin Square, NY; April 10, 2018 – In preparation for a new community STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Center to be built at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, The Center for Science Teaching & Learning (CSTL), a not-for-profit organization with a mission of encouraging science learning and literacy, will hold a special public visioning meeting. This event will be held on Monday, April 30, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Long Island Jewish Hospital Valley Stream, 900 Franklin Avenue in Valley Stream, NY 11580. This program is free to attend and open to all students, parents, business representatives and community members from Franklin Square and surrounding communities.

Visioning meetings give members of the public the opportunity to contribute their ideas and opinions relating to the design and programs that will be offered at their community STEM Center. Each of the STEM Centers CSTL is building will be different and designed based on hyper local community input. The new Franklin Square STEM Center is one of eight new Long Island STEM Centers that will be funded, in part, from a $520,000 New York State grant. This grant was secured by CSTL in 2017 as part of Round VII of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

Through visioning meetings, each community will determine what kind of center will be built and its focus. These centers will have equipment such as 3D printers, robot building equipment, scientific experiments, tools and technology that will be used for educational programs. Centers will be staffed by trained educators and STEM experts. Each will have the mission of showing young people and members of the community how STEM education presents a pathway for young people to higher education and successful professional careers.

"Community STEM Centers are important for encouraging young people across Long Island to take interest in studies and careers that focus on science, technology, engineering and math," says Dr. Ray Ann Havasy, Director of CSTL. "Currently, the United States is lagging behind in science and math in comparison to other nations. We need to take action now to inspire and motivate young people and their parents to STEM education and career paths. Our new STEM Centers are being designed to educate through hands-on learning."

"The goal for this Center is to offer programs based on the needs of young people and families from Franklin Square and its surrounding neighborhoods. Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital is an ideal location for the center. We value the insight and opinions of local residents and community leaders. We are certain that their ideas and involvement in the visioning process will allow us to create a STEM Center that will be a valuable addition to our community," added Dr. Havasy.

For additional information, please contact (516) 764-0045 or visit CSTL on the web at www.cstl.org.

The Center for Science Teaching & Learning (CSTL) is a not-for-profit organization with a mission of encouraging science learning and literacy. CSTL develops programs for people of all ages and utilizes inquiry-based learning as its foundation for program development. This year marks the first for which CSTL is serving as the administrator of the Clean Tech Competition. For more information, visit www.cleantechcompetition.org.For more information about CSTL visit www.ctsl.org.
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