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CWU-Supported Elementary School Robotics Club Sends Two Teams to World Championship

Tue, 02 May 2023 08:46:59

By Rune Torgersen

A lot goes into making a robot perform its assigned tasks in an efficient, controllable way. Design, programming, and execution all have to align with the task at hand, and be meticulously planned so the final product works as a cohesive whole.

In spite of the complexity of the task before them, two teams from Mt. Stuart Elementary School in Ellensburg are attending the 2023 Vex Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, this week, following a year of building and testing their robots alongside mentors from Central Washington University’s Teach STEM program.

Sydney Smothers and Angela Eustaquio, students in the Teach STEM program, have served as interns for the Mt. Stuart Robotics Club for the last year, overseeing practice and helping run meetings. Eustaquio says the time she has spent with the team has added dimension to her education.

“It’s a really invaluable experience because, while we do get opportunities to go into classrooms and observe through our program, I get to be here working with the same group of kids every week until I graduate,” she said. “Not only do I get classroom experience; I also get to learn about after-school programs, which will be very valuable to me as a teacher.”

The two teams currently competing in Dallas are The Wolf Pack and The Muddy Ducks. The Wolf Pack are last year’s championship team, formerly known as Bolt’s Bunch, while The Muddy Ducks are all newcomers to the international stage. As a team of third-graders, The Muddy Ducks had some reservations about their chances of success, but they surprised themselves as they accumulated successes throughout the competition season. Team member Kennedy went into the season with muted hopes.

“I expected that we were going to flat-out be last, because we’re the youngest, so I didn’t want to set my expectations too high,” she said. “Now that we’ve made it, I’m like ‘oh my gosh, we did great!’”

Fellow Muddy Ducks member Connley concurs, saying the success took him by surprise.

“I didn’t think we were going to do so good, because it’s our first year, but it went fine,” he said. “We won awards in almost all the tournaments.”

Jason Eng, the Mt. Stuart Robotics Team head coach and a CWU elementary education instructor, says getting involved with robotics has been a positive and educational experience for the kids on the team.

“It’s really motivating when they can commit to a task and try some kind of solution,” he said. “It doesn’t always work the first time, so it’s just that attitude of trying again and again until you get it right. When they’re able to succeed and get these high scores at tournaments, it’s a huge morale booster for them, too.”

The Mt. Stuart Robotics Team is still accepting donations via GoFundMe(link is external) to help cover the cost of the trip to Dallas. Any funds raised in excess of the target amount will go toward new equipment and future travel expenses for the club.

Media Contact: Rune Torgersen, Department of Public Affairs, Rune.Torgersen@cwu.edu,

CWU STEM Program receives National Science Foundation grant to help teachers

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 12:45:13

Megan Rogers, Senior Reporter
September 28, 2022

CWU’s Teach STEM program received a Noyce Track 3 grant and started working on it in August. This grant is a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help STEM teachers around Washington.

The Robert Noyce program which is part of NSF has different tracks. Track three is for helping fund Master Teacher Fellows within their fields.

According to nsf.gov Master Teacher Fellows are defined as “1) have already received teacher certification or licensure, (2) possess a master’s or bachelor’s degree in education or a STEM discipline, and (3) participate in a program for developing teacher leaders.”

Brent Hancock, project director and principal investigator, said, “We’re going to provide opportunities for fellowships where they’ll be financially supported and teachers can take on that leadership role and really improve the state of STEM education throughout all of Washington state.”

According to Brent Hancock, they will spread this grant out over the next six years.

“We will have two cohorts of teachers,” Brent Hancock said. “The first one would be in years, one through five of the grants and then, the second cohort would be taking part in activities in years two through six.”

The two cohorts will each have eight teachers and will be split into teachers that already have their master’s degree in a STEM or education field, or teachers currently in a master’s program and planning to finish within the next year.

Allyson Rogan-Klyve, a co-principal investigator, said the grant provides support for STEM teachers mainly at the middle and high school levels.

“People that are going to become leaders in their district work with us as a network to implement some STEM innovations in their districts to reach more students,” Rogan-Klyve said. “Particularly students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.”

To receive this grant, teachers have to meet the National Science Foundation eligibility requirements and then go through the application process with CWU.

“Teachers tell us why they want to join the program and what types of innovations [they] are thinking about doing in their district, and they have to demonstrate also support from the principal and their district,” Rogan-Klyve said.

Another important part of this grant is research and trying to understand the impact of what CWU is doing.

Emilie Hancock, a co-principle investigator, said, “The folks who work with us as master teacher fellows, we’re interested in how they develop as leaders. We’re also interested in the potential change that might happen in student learning and teaching as a result of these STEM leaders going out into the field and leading change efforts at their own schools or districts.”

This grant it is “bottom-up work” instead of “top-down work,” according to Emilie Hancock.

“A lot of times when we talk about change in STEM teaching, historically, it’s been top-down efforts where folks who get grant money, university faculty come in and tell teachers what to do,” Emilie Hancock said. “Instead of really listening to the teachers in the field and listening carefully to their needs.”

Emilie Hancock said the intent of this grant is to instead let teachers be at the center of the decision-making process.

CWU Teach STEM Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Enrich Teachers

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:23:09

By Rune Torgersen

Central Washington University has received a $1.5 million, six-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which will be used to establish the Washington STEM Teachers Engaging in Leadership, Learning and Research (WA-STELLAR) program.

WA-STELLAR was designed to develop, support, and enrich a network of leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education across Washington state, and the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program will help Central take the initiative to a higher level.

Project director Brent Hancock, who also serves as an assistant professor of mathematics at CWU, says the program will bring renewed relevance to STEM education.

“These teacher leaders will increase the relevance of STEM statewide by meaningfully connecting their students with appropriate community partners,” he said. “Such efforts intend to allow for fuller participation in STEM by all learners, which will hopefully contribute to the development of a more diverse STEM workforce.”

Allyson Rogan-Klyve, the co-director of Teach STEM and a CWU associate professor of Science and Math Education, says the program will be focused on curriculum accessibility and meeting students where they are by implementing culturally responsive pedagogy, an integrated, project-based curriculum, and authentic assessment practices.

“With this new grant, we can continue to support teachers beyond the master’s level as they become transformational leaders in their districts,” Rogan-Klyve said. “Our ultimate aim is to provide high-quality and meaningful STEM learning experiences for all of Washington’s children, particularly those from underserved communities, such as students of color and students in rural school districts.”

Through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, WA-STELLAR participants will receive a $10,000 annual stipend for five years, plus learning and networking opportunities, and the chance to become leaders for instructional change in their districts. Interested participants must be K-12 STEM teachers at high-need schools and have completed, or be within one year of finishing, their master’s degree in education or a STEM discipline.

Drs. Emilie Hancock, Mark Oursland, and Jennifer Dechaine also collaborated with Hancock and Rogan-Klyve on WA-STELLAR and the NSF grant proposal. Read more about the program online(link is external).

Media Contact: David Leder, Department of Public Affairs, David.Leder@cwu.edu, 509-963-1518

Dechaine Named CWU Associate Dean/Director of the School of Education

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 10:49:19

By Rune Torgersen

Jenny Dechaine has been named the new Associate Dean/Director of the School of Education of the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) at Central Washington University. Dechaine, the chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics Education, has been a CWU faculty member since 2009, and served as interim chair of the Department of Biological Sciences from 2020 to 2021.

CEPS Dean Sathy Rajendran looks forward to a partnership that will move the college forward and continue to build upon its strengths.

“I am pleased to congratulate and welcome Dr. Jennifer Dechaine to CEPS,” Rajendran said. “I am excited to begin working with her and the CEPS community; together, we can make CEPS the college of choice rooted in a culture of active care, respect, trust, inclusion, positivity, collaboration, excellence, and innovation.”

In addition to her role in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Dechaine is co-director of the CWU Teach STEM teacher certification program, and a professor of Science and Mathematics Education, as well as Biology.

Her colleagues expect her broad experience in higher education and her history of excellence in leadership will help CWU continue to provide high-value education to its students.

“She has proven leadership experience, and an impressive history in the area of teacher preparation,” Rajendran said.

Dechaine will start her new role September 1.

Media Contact: Rune Torgersen, Department of Public Affairs, Rune.Torgersen@cwu.edu,

Elementary School Robotics Team Headed to World Championship, Supported by CWU

Wed, 04 May 2022 08:43:28

By Rune Torgersen

This weekend, a robotics team from Mt. Stuart Elementary School is headed to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Central Washington University’s TeachSTEM program has supported the robotics club at Mt. Stuart for the last four years, through student internships and volunteering efforts at local competitions, some of which have been held at CWU.

CWU Professor of Mathematics Dominic Klyve is the team’s assistant coach and father to Emery Klyve, one of the students headed to Dallas. The professor says the Vex IQ program teaches essential life skills to children of all ages.

“I fell in love with this program as a parent,” Klyve said. “They’re radically supportive of kids from all walks of life. At the competition, there are kids with super high-tech, fancy robots, right alongside those who’ve just figured out how to drive a box around. While not everybody gets a medal, everybody is supported and encouraged to improve, and they all get to participate in every part of the program.”

The team, named Bolt’s Bunch in honor of their robot, Bolt, is comprised of Emery Klyve, Aspen Moore, and Maddy Bryant. All three girls were newcomers to robotics at the start of the school year and have taken to the discipline with a passion that’s carried them all the way to the international stage.

“We had to learn how to program the robot and measure the things the robot needs to know to work,” Bryant said. Moore added that “It’s cool to figure out what to do to make the robot work. There’s a lot of steps to it that are really fun.”

Bolt’s Bunch is going to the championship because they were awarded the Design Award, granted based on interview skills and a very detailed engineering notebook. Jason Eng—a CWU alumnus, Mt. Stuart P.E. teacher, and robotics team head coach—says the competition builds the core competency of teamwork.

“Teamwork is key to success in this competition,” said Eng, who is also a CWU lecturer in the Education, Development, Teaching and Learning Department(link is external). “They have to put aside what they think is best, for the betterment of the team. It’s a hard lesson to learn that sometimes, your ideas just aren’t the best ones, following testing and research.”

The team says they are passionate about continuing their STEM journey beyond the competition.

“When I grow up, I want to do biomimicry, which is where you look at nature and build robots based on it to help humans,” Emery Klyve said. “That’s how Velcro was invented!”

Bolt’s Bunch is currently accepting donations for their trip to Dallas via GoFundMe.

Media contact: Rune Torgersen, Department of Public Affairs, rune.torgersen@cwu.edu, 509-963-1264

National Teacher of the Year Named to Central Washington University Board of Trustees

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 08:50:57

Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Jeff Charbonneau, a CWU alumnus, longtime STEM educator and principal of Zillah Middle School to the Central Washington University Board of Trustees. His term ends in Sept. 2027, when he may be appointed to an additional term.

Charbonneau graduated CWU in 2000 with a BS biology education; he also earned his science-teaching certificate (2004), Master Teaching degree (2005), Career and Technical Education Certificate in STEM (2013), and in 2017 his principal/administrator certification—all at Central. In 2013 he was named the National Teacher of the Year, while working as a high school science teacher in his hometown of Zillah. Charbonneau said he looked forward to putting to work for Central his experience as a STEM teacher and working with first-generation students.

“Education offers unique and life-changing opportunities to Washington families,” said Charbonneau. “Central’s impact on student success, accessibility for our diverse population, and immense value Central grads bring to the state’s workforce is what drives me.”

Charbonneau’s CWU training prepared him for the biggest honor of his 20-year career: the National Teacher of the Year award(link is external), presented by then-President Barack Obama. The same year, he won the Washington State Teacher of the Year honors and received CWU’s Alumni of the Year award. He also received the 2015 Global Teacher Prize, awarded to the top 50 teachers around the world.

The longtime STEM educator has been the principal of Zillah Middle School since 2018 and taught science at Zillah High School for 17 years. Charbonneau also has worked as an assistant principal in the Zillah School District, a STEM coordinator for Educational Service District 105, and an adjunct professor at Yakima Valley College and CWU.

Charbonneau serves on the national legislative committee for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and has been a member of the Washington Student Achievement Council since 2013.

CWU President Jim Wohlpart said Charbonneau was a perfect choice for the board because of his affiliation with the university.

“Jeff Charbonneau has an extensive history with CWU, as a student, educator, and educational partner,” Wohlpart said. “He’ll be a welcome addition to the board in the years to come as we address Central’s new vision, mission, and goals for the future.”

Media contact: Dawn Alford, Department of Public Affairs, 509-963-1484, dawn.alford@cwu.edu.

CWU to Offer First Master of Education Specialization in STEM Leadership in Washington

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 11:16:06

Selah High School science teacher Alex Soto will be among the first recipients of Central Washington University’s Master of Education in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Leadership Specialization. Classes for the new program—the only one of its kind in Washington—will begin in July and enrollment is now open.

Photo: CWU students in physics lab

“I’m looking to gain further knowledge about how to teach science to people from different backgrounds and lifestyles, and get everyone super excited about STEM in general,” said Soto, a 2020 CWU graduate from Naches. “In the long run, I could see myself transitioning into a district-wide STEM facilitator position. So, having this knowledge under my belt now will be very helpful.”

The 48-credit hybrid program is geared toward the needs of teachers, allowing them to attend classes in the summer without having to manage daily teaching responsibilities. Open to all elementary through 12th-grade teachers, the degree typically takes two years to complete and is designed for those who want to improve STEM offerings at the school and district levels.

“Those math and science teachers that really want to step up and become the department chair, or they want to advance the strategies and techniques their schools are using in the classroom,” explained Rachel George, CWU academic advisor for the STEM Teaching Program.

Candidates will spend only one or two weekends in class, with the remainder of the instruction taking place online. The goal is to help educators integrate multiple STEM disciplines into their courses via project-based, culturally responsive teaching practices. Specialized leadership courses will foster skills needed to become effective STEM leaders in their communities.

“There’s a component that also increases a student’s content knowledge,” added Mark Oursland, CWU mathematics and STEM education professor. “There are going to be some courses specific to certain areas that students will take, which will help them learn more math, science, or computer science.”

Oursland also points out the program, offered quarterly, will benefit teachers who want to become certified for College in the High School courses. The new degree offering is part of CWU’s Master Teacher Curriculum and Instruction master’s program.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, Public Affairs, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu.

CWU Professor Continues Efforts to Improve K-12 STEM Education

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 08:46:04

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Central Washington University received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help ensure university graduates are fully prepared to lead science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in any K-12 setting.

Anne Egger, CWU professor of geological sciences and science education, said the four-year grant will enable future teachers to experience science investigation and engineering design in introductory undergraduate STEM classrooms. It also will allow CWU to remain at the forefront of preparing the best STEM classroom teachers.

“The burden is really on us [higher education] to teach science—especially in these introductory college science classes—in a way that engages future teachers in the same way that we want them to be engaging their students once they get into their own classrooms,” Egger explained.

The new work is related to the eight-year, NSF-funded “InTeGrate, Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth for a Sustainable Future” project. Egger also played a key role in that effort, leading faculty teams in the development, testing, and implementation of free curricular resources across the undergraduate curriculum.

“I consider this current project to be a direct follow-on to InTeGrate, because, as a fundamental component, we are utilizing the curriculum-development process that we originated through the previous grant,” she said. “A big difference between the two projects is the development of student materials and student reading, whereas the previous project focused on faculty materials.”

Egger also recently served on a National Academy of Sciences committee, charged with determining how to implement the Framework for K-12 Science Education in middle and high school science classrooms. That assignment further piqued her interest to ensure CWU pre-service teachers and their peers nationwide are fully prepared to enter K-12 classrooms.

“It further strengthened my own understanding that a lot of future teachers don’t currently learn science, at least in college, the way that we want them to teach it,” she added. “And, at the same time, college faculty may not even know they have future teachers in their classes. At CWU, because he have a big education program, we are really conscious that future teachers are enrolled in our introductory science classes. But, at a lot of other institutions, that’s not the case.”

Education in STEM fields is becoming even more important, as the Commerce Department projects related career opportunities significantly will outpace non-STEM job creation within the US economy.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, Public Affairs, 509-899-0235, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu

CWU Receives Companion Federal Grants to Further Improved STEM Education Efforts

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:44:10

There is intense interest in improving the quality of the country’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher workforce. How to identify the top potential STEM teachers, and what can Central Washington University do to help them become the best educators they can be are questions the university is now looking to answer with the help of new National Science Foundation (NSF) grants.

One $63,622 grant is funding research into “Searching for Connections between Teacher Applicant Information and Selection, and STEM Teacher Retention and Effectiveness to Inform Teacher Recruitment and Education.”

“Not much is known about the characteristics of potential STEM teacher candidates and, in particular, which ones predict if candidates will stay in the classroom and be effective teachers,” said Jennifer Dechaine, co-director of CWU’s Teach STEM program and biology and science education faculty.

She added, “This research is looking at connections between data collected as part of the teacher education application process and STEM teacher outcomes that happen later. We’re using information on teacher candidates from teacher education programs at five higher education institutions in Washington, including Central. This study is completely novel and will generate empirical evidence to inform decisions and policies about admissions into our teacher education programs.”

The study will also look to determine the best stage at which teacher candidates should be recruited. A companion NSF $74,894 grant to CWU will be used for “Building Capacity for Master Teacher Specialization in STEM Leadership.” Such leaders are needed to promote innovative STEM curriculum in high-need K-12 schools which in turn can motivate K-12 students from diverse backgrounds to choose STEM careers and especially STEM teaching careers.

“Moreover, the STEM leaders will establish community partnerships to promote STEM literacy and relevance to everyday life,” said Mark Oursland, CWU mathematics, and STEM education professor, and one of the principal investigators for the project, along with Ian Loverro, curriculum, and instruction; Allyson Rogan-Klyve, science education; and, Brent Hancock and Emilie Hancock, mathematics.

The specialization will be the first of its kind in the state. By completing the CWU STEM Leadership program, STEM leaders will improve their teaching practice, developing knowledge and skills to mentor other teachers in best teaching practices, and be prepared to complete National Board Certification.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, Public Affairs, 509-899-0235, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu

CWU-Des Moines Helps Define Global Role of 21st Century School Teachers

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 09:51:55

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Five educators from the Eastern European country of Georgia will visit CWU-Des Moines to learn about CWU’s innovative Teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program. Their visit is part of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

“It’s a three-week, professional exchange program through the US State Department,” explained Julianna Patterson, program coordinator for the World Affairs Council of Seattle’s International Visitor Program (IVP). “All of the visitors are current or emerging leaders in their field and they were nominated by the embassy in their country. They have to be doing great work in their field and their community to be selected for the program.”

Run through its Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, IVLP is regarded as the State Department’s premiere professional-development program and is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The State Department partners with nearly 90 community organizations throughout the United States, including the World Affairs Council of Seattle, to create opportunities for IVLP visitors to meet with their professional peers, exchange ideas, and build bridges of peace and understanding.

This specific IVLP program, “The Role of School Teachers in the 21st Century,” is aimed at connecting educators and institutions working in teacher training and retention in exploring unique approaches to teaching certification that address the need for teachers in fields like STEM.

“The Teach STEM program that CWU is doing offers a really unique case study on another way to get students involved in teaching, help solve teacher shortages, and increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds getting into the field,” said Camille Adkins-Rieck, World Affairs Council IVP program officer. “So, I suggested the program to our State Department liaisons and proposed it as a good fit for our visiting educators. They loved it.”

Jennifer Dechaine-Berkas, who is co-director of CWU’s Teach STEM program and serves on the biology and science education faculty, acknowledged, “It’s an honor for Teach STEM at CWU-Des Moines to be highlighted to these respected educators! This is a great opportunity for our program and students to learn about education in Georgia.”

CWU’s Teach STEM program is a collaboration between the sciences and education that helps students get certified to teach in science and math fields. The two-year program was first offered this fall at CWU-Des Moines. It’s been available for the past two years on the Ellensburg campus.

Darin Knapp, a master teacher, who oversees Teach STEM at CWU-Des Moines, added, “I'm eager to host our visitors from Georgia and share about our Teach STEM model, and how we recruit and prepare future STEM teachers,” said “This will be a collaborative visit and we look forward to learning from the work they are doing to train and keep teachers in the field of education in their country as well.”

While at CWU-Des Moines, the visiting delegation will attend a class and participate in a question-and-answer session.

The delegates coming to CWU-Des Moines are principals or head teachers in K12 schools, and university retention personnel. During their three-week visit, they will also spend time in Baltimore, Boston, Portland, Oregon; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Washington DC.

“While the theme is around education, in each city they’re hoping to explore different topics,” Adkins-Rieck pointed out. The delegation will be at CWU-Des Moines on Monday, February 10.

CWU-Des Moines is a partnership with Highline College that provides classes based on community and workforce demands through programs that allow students and working professionals to earn degrees and certifications in education and a number of other disciplines.

The World Affairs Council of Seattle was founded in 1951 to advance global understanding and engagement throughout the Greater Seattle area. Their core programs include community events, classroom program design for K-12 educators and students, and citizen diplomacy initiatives and global exchange programs.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, Department of Public Affairs, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu