From Daytona 500 to Worm Farming

A reporter interviews Cindy  at the River District's RiverTime STEM program last fall.

Catawba River Women, by Carla Linster – March 8, 2012

The Feb. 23 luncheon of the Catawba River Women's Group was very successful. STEM education expert Dr. Cindy Moss spoke to us about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for our children and our world. She started her talk with alarming statistics and one very interesting one.

• Children who are below grade level in reading and math at 4th grade have only a 12% chance of graduating high school and 5% chance of going to college.
  
• Every 11 seconds, a child drops out of school.
• 80% of dropouts say they drop out because they can’t pass algebra 
• In U.S. less than 10% of high-school graduates have taken physics and less than 15% complete calculus. kids who graduate take physics.
• 40% of kids who start college fail to return their sophomore year.
• 90% of inventors had their idea before age 10.

Dr. Moss, who oversaw Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' STEM program before recently becoming director of Global STEM Initiatives for Discovery Education, said that CMS is working to get its students focused on science even in early grades. The district is training teachers to use children's natural curiosity to get them excited about science and to carry that excitement over to other areas of learning. Kids in grades K-8 are getting hands-on science lessons where they can get their hands dirty, use equipment, ask their own questions, get results and understand the process. They also learn (I thought this was really interesting) looking at their classmates' work and understanding their process.

At the high-school level, CMS is encouraging students to begin with the end in mind (college and career). The schools are adding more high-level math and science courses and asking the students to challenge themselves and to be competitive with kids in the United States and around the world.

Dr. Moss also has asked members of the community, local businesses and organizations to help with her creative ideas to spark excitement in students. One way is the virtual field trip, where video and the Internet allow students to experience topics as disparate as watching live while Speed Channel shoots the Daytona 500 race to visiting a farmer in South Carolina who makes $2 million dollars a year by raising worms. This use of technology helps kids see how science is applied in ways they may not have thought of.

This is just a small amount of the information that Dr. Moss talked about. If you get the opportunity to see her speak you won’t be disappointed. She is smart and funny and encouraging to all. And I know that the next time I see a 5-year-old I’ll wonder what budding invention they are building in their brain and what our schools and communities are doing to make sure that idea becomes reality. 

Learn more about the Catawba River Women's Group - Visit us on Facebook or email the CRWG to learn more about the group and its monthly activities. The group seeks to bring women together to create a sense of unity among the communities along the Catawba River, focusing on sustainable healthy lifestyles and development, service to community, regionalism and to provide an active voice for a unified community.

About Carla Linster – Carla, 47, is enjoying a “mid-life spring” after overcoming several medical problems. One new joy is working with “an amazing group of women,” the Catawba River Women’s Group, as they seek to create a sense of unity among communities along the Catawba River.