ABC CREATE L.E.A.D.S. Extending Impact

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ABC CREATE is actualizing its mission to actively connect teachers across school districts with professional learning communities, tools, and best practices to develop competent and technologically fluent students. Coming together in 2014 to build a collective impact model, ABC CREATE secured a PAsmart Advancing Grant in 2019 to take the well-established foundation of integrating STEAM into classrooms across the 14 district collaborative.  With the 2022 PAsmart Advancing Grant, ABC CREATE L.E.A.D.S, ABC CREATE is perched and ready to extend the impact by inviting 10 additional schools into the collaborative and to share the learnings and experiences with others across the region, the state, and the nation who are striving to work collectively to enhance STEAM learning in their communities.

Expand CS/STEAM

PSSE

PA SMART 2020

 

Expand CS/STEAM

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ABC CREATE’s educators and partners have been working for several years to re-imagine education to support learners in the development of skills that will prepare them to thrive in our rapidly changing, increasingly technological world. Since 2014, ABC CREATE has grown in its understandings and is continuing to maximize the benefits of the collective impact of community, education, and workforce partners. 

With a solid foundation in shifting paradigms in STEAM-based teaching, learning, and living, ABC CREATE will capitalize on the opportunity through ABC CREATE L.E.A.D.S. to expand and enhance CS/STEAM in elementary education, to strengthen partnerships and community engagement, and to extend STEAM learning throughout the region.  In doing so, ABC CREATE LEADS will actively and intentionally develop, assess, and capture successes and will share promising practices in an effort to expand the efficacy of the CS/STEAM ecosystems.

In addition to sharing the lessons learned through ABC CREATE on our website, ABC CREATE will reach out to an additional 10 school districts to support opportunities for STEAM learning for educators and students – starting with CS/STEAM in elementary.

 

 PENNSYLVANIA STATEWIDE STEM ECOSYSTEM

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An encounter in a “Lead STEM” Capstone Project ignited the formation of the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE). The PSSE is a collection of STEM Ecosystems and STEM networks across Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, that through purposeful cooperation and collaboration, focuses primarily on creating professional networks and a stable community of practice.

In the fall of 2020, PSSE joined with the Pennsylvania STEM Coalition - a statewide, cross-sector network of over 800 stakeholders. Similar to PSSE, the PA STEM Coalition strove to provide equitable access to STEM learning experiences for every learner - from early childhood through higher education. In 2022, the PSSE and the Coalition consolidated into one entity - the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem. Administered by a 14-member Leadership Team that meets regularly and represents Pennsylvania’s diverse regions and perspectives, it is composed of STEM Ecosystem Leads as well as an Advisory Board. 

JOIN PSSE

 

PA SMART 2020

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ABC CREATE’s mission is to work collaboratively to connect ABC CREATE teachers with professional learning communities, tools, and best practices to develop competent and technologically-fluent students. The 2020 PAsmart funds will enable ABC CREATE to accelerate and advance work that is underway within ABC CREATE and work that has posed a specific challenge and has needed additional support to move forward. 
We plan to address five key areas:

1. Increasing the skills and confidence of ABC CREATE district teachers in using text-based programming languages to help students to transition from introductory block-based programming to text-based programming languages used in the workforce.
   
2. Accelerating the development of the K-12 Learning Pathways (STEAM-based modules) that will provide teachers with easy access to innovative lessons focusing on skills students need for today and tomorrow.
   
3. Developing further strategies for addressing equity and access concerns within and across the 14 ABC CREATE school districts to be sure that all students are prepared for their futures.
   
4. Engaging educators with business and industry to prepare students with 21st Century Skills needed in the workplace for Industry 4.0.
   
5. Providing support to facilitate and manage approaches and logistics for this project.
   
   

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