On November 8th, community stakeholders and students explored Betabox, funded by the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. STEM West of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, partnered with the Catawba County EDC Committee of 100 and the North Carolina Center of Engineering Technologies (NCCET) to explore this mobile lab model. The day began with breakfast and networking of community stakeholders who … Continue reading Betabox Comes to Western NC

Catawba County EDC Committee of 100 & STEM West invite you to an event to learn about BETABOX and how this modular tech space can impact both our local schools and your company. Tuesday, November 8, 2016 From 745am to 9am (coffee/donuts provided)  NC Center for Engineering Technologies 1990 Main Ave SE Hickory, NC 28602 … Continue reading Catawba County EDC Committee of 100 & STEM West Invite You to Learn About Betabox – Nov. 8

https://youtu.be/I7DwCI7j0Bg The EdCampSTEMWest organizing team is excited to share with you plans for an Edcamp with a STEM focus. This Edcamp has everything that you expect from an Edcamp; dynamic conversations with dedicated educators; relevant sessions created by and lead by the participants; cutting edge pedagogy that will inspire you and motivate your students. Join us for a … Continue reading EdCampSTEM West – January 21 at Grandview Elementary School

The newly established STEM West represents the intersection of two of IEI's top Emerging Issues Forum priorities: the Community Action Plans (CAP) from the Teachers and the Great Economic Debate Forum of 2014, and the strategies of this year’s Forum on FutureWork. Housed at the Western Piedmont Council of Governments and supporting seven school systems, … Continue reading Introducing STEM West: Project-Based Learning in Action!

As the 2015-16 school year ended, six German representatives of Sister Cities (sistercities.org) visited a Catawba County elementary school to learn about US public education and STEM initiatives. Workforce Director, Wendy Johnson and STEM West Coordinator, Carol Moore of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) arranged this international opportunity. Working with an interpreter, the US … Continue reading Sister Cities Visits Balls Creek Elementary School’s STEAM Lab and Maker Space

Youth workers and educators met at the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to be trained on hosting their own community Robox sumo event. Teachers, 4-H volunteers, science center representatives, and homeschool parents met to build and challenge each other in Robox Sumo (www.pittpiratesrobotics.com). This cost effective robotics program uses easily accessible parts and remote control … Continue reading Robox Sumo Train-the-Trainers Day