Thomas College Associate Professor of Chemistry Julia Saloni has received a Maine Space Grant Consortium grant of $5,000 to develop a database of STEM activities for K–12 teachers.
The project is designed to address the shortage of qualified STEM educators in Maine by providing teachers with classroom-ready lessons while preparing future educators through hands-on training.
This initiative begins with a collaborative pilot project led by a team of Thomas College STEM and education faculty and a Lawrence High School teacher. The team will train Thomas’ education majors to design and test STEM lessons.
Professor Saloni said, “This project is about meeting teachers where they are — Maine schools need high-quality STEM lessons now, not years from now. Through this Thomas College initiative, we’re supporting Maine teachers today while preparing future educators for tomorrow.”
Participating Lawrence High School science teacher Elizabeth Andrews said, “At a time when schools are facing real challenges in staffing and resources, initiatives like this help strengthen both today’s classrooms and tomorrow’s teaching workforce.
“I’m especially excited to see these lessons come to life during the April 10 Girls in Science Day at the college and to bring my own students to Thomas College to experience these opportunities firsthand.”
The Girls in Science project is designed to help the gender disparities often seen in STEM classes and STEM fields in the U.S. Thomas College associate professor of education Heather Batchelor commented, “We see girls perform equally in science/math through grade 8, but by grade 12, only 45% of girls take advanced STEM classes compared to 55% of boys. At Thomas, we want to change that narrative.”
The Maine Space Grant Consortium grant is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Thomas College, in Waterville, is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of Maine’s top colleges for social mobility.