April 2, 2001
UCSC helps organization linking teachers, industry
By Louise Donahue
A Silicon Valley organization that brings teachers and industry together in an effort
to improve science and math education has received a boost from UCSC.
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| Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood presents a check to Matty Bloom, executive director of Industry Initiatives in Science and Math Education. Photo: Elizabeth Irwin |
J. Michael Thompson, associate vice chancellor of Outreach, Admissions, and Student
Academic Services, said the program provides teachers with a variety of summer work
experiences. "Teachers get intellectually refreshed, and they also get some
real-world grounding, which they infuse into their teaching," he said.
The organization's summer fellowship program matches teachers of all subjects with
mentored, paid summer jobs at high-technology companies, government agencies, and
university laboratories, including UCSC's natural sciences labs. IISME also offers
year-round assistance to teachers applying what they have learned during the summer.
"The new website has already shown a return on investment with a record-breaking
450-plus teachers applying online for this summer's Fellowship Program," said
Bloom. "Our corporate sponsors are showing outstanding support for this project
and have contributed an additional $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in-kind, tripling
UCSC's generous challenge gift of $53,600 to meet our goal. We are very excited about
the efficiencies we will continue to reap from the project."
The organization was founded in 1985 by a consortium of San Francisco Bay Area industries
in partnership with the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California,
Berkeley. The major participating sponsors this year, in addition to UCSC, are Intel,
IBM, Compaq, and National Semiconductor.
Thompson said the gift, which requires that the amount be matched by another source,
encourages new approaches to education. Community college teachers and K-12 teachers
are eligible for the partnerships.
The gift was not the first time UCSC has helped the organization. UCSC has previously
provided assistance for a newsletter and a similar challenge grant to hire an educational
director.
Bloom said the organization's work ties in well with UCSC's interests. "If we
serve more teachers, then students will be better prepared in math and science and
other fields," she said, leading to better-prepared students at UCSC.
